Patent ID: 8743341

Claim:
An immersion exposure apparatus comprising: a projection optical system from which an exposure beam exits; a stage system that has a first stage and a second stage that is capable of moving independently from the first stage, the first stage having a first table and a first movable member, the first table configured to hold a first substrate and being movably held by the first movable member, the second stage having a second table and a second movable member, the second table configured to hold a second substrate and being movably held by the second movable member; an immersion system that has an immersion member disposed adjacent to the projection optical system and that supplies a liquid to and forms an immersion region directly below the projection optical system; a liquid holding member that is movable relative to the first and second tables and that is provided on a moving body of the first stage, the moving body holding the first movable member, the liquid holding member and the moving body being movable relative to one another, the liquid holding member being movable relative to the projection optical system and the immersion member so as to be selectively positionable below the projection optical system and the immersion member; and a drive apparatus that moves at least one of the moving body and the liquid holding member relative to one another; a drive system that moves the first and second stages during a transition operation so as to transit from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the immersion region is maintained between the projection optical system and the first table, the second state in which the immersion region is maintained between the projection optical system and the second table, wherein during at least a part of the transition operation, at least one of the liquid holding member and the moving body is moved relative to the other of the liquid holding member and the moving body by the drive apparatus, during the transition operation, the immersion region is moved from the first table to the second table via and over an upper surface of the liquid holding member while being maintained directly below the projection optical system, the substrate is exposed with the exposure beam via the projection optical system and the liquid, and during the exposure, the substrate is moved relative to the immersion region by the first stage.