Patent ID: 8339579

Claim:
An exposure method for exposing a pattern of a reticle to a plate by using light from a light source and an optical system, said method comprising the steps of: obtaining information relating to a first pattern that represents a functional cell pattern in a circuit pattern to be exposed to the plate and a second pattern selected from a pattern group and substituted for a peripheral circuit pattern different from the functional cell pattern in the circuit pattern, the pattern group being formed separately from the peripheral circuit pattern and being preliminarily installed; determining at least one exposure parameter of the light source and the optical system associated with exposing both the functional cell pattern and the peripheral circuit pattern with a same exposing condition by using information of the first pattern and the second pattern obtained by the obtaining step; and exposing the pattern of the reticle using the exposure parameter determined by said determining step, the pattern including the functional cell pattern and the peripheral circuit pattern.