Patent ID: 8836914

Claim:
A liquid immersion lithography apparatus in which a wafer is exposed through a liquid in a space immediately under a lens, the apparatus comprising: a containment member provided such that the containment member surrounds the space immediately under the lens; and a seal member provided between the lens and the containment member, wherein: the containment member has a first fluid inlet, the first fluid inlet removes fluid from a first gap between the containment member and the wafer during the exposure, the containment member has a lower surface, during the exposure, the wafer faces the lower surface of the containment member and the first fluid inlet removes the fluid between the lower surface of the containment member and the wafer, the lower surface of the containment member has an inner edge from which an inner side surface extends upwardly such that the inner side surface surrounds the space immediately under the lens, the lower surface extends radially outwardly from the inner edge, the first fluid inlet is provided radially outwardly away from the inner edge, the inner edge of the lower surface defines an opening below the lens, the lens is arranged such that the liquid in the space immediately under the lens contacts the lens, and the lens is spaced from a portion of the containment member having the opening such that a second gap exists between the portion of the containment member having the opening and a side surface of the lens, the side surface of the lens extending in a direction away from the wafer, and the space immediately under the lens is in continuous fluid communication with the first fluid inlet via the opening.