Patent ID: 8705008

Claim:
A substrate-holding unit which holds a substrate, to be exposed with an exposure beam through a liquid, the substrate-holding unit comprising: a base member; a first holding portion which is formed on the base member and which holds the substrate, the liquid covering a first portion of an upper surface of the substrate including an area being exposed while leaving a second portion of the upper surface of the substrate not covered in the liquid; and a second holding portion which is formed on the base member and which holds a plate in a vicinity of the substrate held by the first holding portion so that an upper surface of plate is provided around the upper surface of the substrate held by the first holding portion, wherein the second holding portion has a first outer wall which surrounds the first holding portion, a second outer wall which surrounds the first outer wall, and a plurality of protrusions formed on the base member, the plurality of protrusions being provided between the first outer wall and the second outer wall, the plate is held on the protrusions of the second holding portion by a negative pressure provided to a first space surrounded by the first and second outer walls, and a back surface of the plate, the first holding portion has a support portion and a circumferential wall, the substrate is held on the support portion by a negative pressure provided to a second space surrounded by the circumferential wall and formed on a side of a back surface of the substrate, and the negative pressure provided to the first holding portion is controlled independently from the negative pressure provided to the second holding portion.