Patent ID: 8711328

Claim:
An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam via a projection optical system and liquid, the apparatus comprising: a first stage that is capable of moving relative to the projection optical system; a second stage that is capable of moving independently from the first stage and of mounting the substrate; a detection system configured to detect a mark of a mask and a reference mark of the second stage via the projection optical system and via the liquid, the mask having a pattern that is to be formed on the substrate, a liquid immersion system configured to supply the liquid to form an immersion area just below the projection optical system; and a drive system configured to replace one of the first and second stages arranged opposite to the projection optical system with the other of the first and second stages by moving the first and second stages relative to the immersion area below the projection optical system so as to transit from one to the other of first and second states, the first state being a state in which the immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and the first stage, the second state being a state in which the immersion area is maintained between the projection optical system and the second stage, wherein the apparatus is configured such that, in the transition, the immersion area is maintained just below the projection optical system and, after the transition from the first state to the second state and prior to start of the exposure for the substrate, the detection system detects the mark of the mask and the reference mark via the liquid, and wherein the apparatus is configured to move, in the exposure, the substrate relative to the immersion area by the second stage.