Patent ID: 8920569

Claim:
A pollutant removal method for removing a pollutant in an exposure apparatus which exposes an object with an illumination light beam from a light source via an optical system to transfer an image of a pattern onto the object, the exposure apparatus having an exposure portion which transfers the image of the pattern onto the object, a chamber, the optical system and the exposure portion being disposed inside the chamber, and a channel portion which is connected to the light source and leads the illumination light beam from the light source to the chamber, the exposure portion including a projection system which is a part of the optical system, the pollutant being adhered to an optical member of the projection system, the method comprising: preparing a wipe soaked with a cleaning solution containing hydrofluoric acid; containing the wipe in a container; bringing the container which contains the wipe into the chamber; removing the pollutant adhered to the optical member of the projection system by using the cleaning solution by wiping the member with the wipe, and removing the cleaning solution from the optical member by applying water to the optical member and separately applying a washing organic solvent to the optical member; wherein the removal of the pollutant and the removal of the cleaning solution are performed in the chamber and in a state in which the projection system is provided on the exposure apparatus.