Patent ID: 8638422

Claim:
An evaluation method for evaluating control accuracy of an exposure apparatus which has a substrate stage capable of moving a substrate and which exposes the substrate while moving the substrate with respect to an exposure light beam in a state that an optical path space for the exposure light beam is filled with a liquid, the method comprising: measuring, before an exposure of the substrate, a first position information of the substrate while controlling the substrate stage to move the substrate stage in a state that the optical path space is filled with the liquid under a first liquid supply condition under which the liquid is supplied from a supply inlet of the exposure apparatus; measuring, before the exposure of the substrate, a second position information of the substrate while controlling the substrate stage to move the substrate stage in a state that the optical path space is filled with the liquid under a second liquid supply condition under which the liquid is supplied from the supply inlet of the exposure apparatus, the second liquid supply condition being different from the first liquid supply condition; evaluating movement control accuracy of the substrate stage based on a result of the measurement, the movement control accuracy being evaluated under the first liquid supply condition and the second liquid supply condition respectively prior to the exposure of the substrate; and determining an optimal liquid supply amount per unit of time based upon the evaluation such that the movement control accuracy in the exposure is kept in a predetermined allowable range.