Patent ID: 8705001

Claim:
An exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate with an energy beam via a projection optical system and a liquid, the apparatus comprising: a table member configured to move while the substrate is mounted thereon; a liquid retaining member configured to move relative to the table member; and a liquid immersion system that supplies the liquid to and locally forms a liquid immersion region below the projection optical system, wherein the liquid retaining member and the table member are replaceable by each other at a position opposite the projection optical system while the liquid immersion region is maintained in contact with a lower surface of the projection optical system so as to transition from a first state to a second state, the first state in which the liquid immersion region is maintained between the projection optical system and the liquid retaining member, the second state in which the liquid immersion region is maintained between the projection optical system and the table member, an exposure operation for the substrate is performed in succession to the transition, during the exposure operation, the substrate is moved relative to the liquid immersion region by the table member, and the liquid immersion system includes a liquid immersion member that encircles the lower surface of the projection optical system and has (i) a lower surface that faces the substrate during the exposure operation, (ii) an opening in the lower surface through which the energy beam passes, and (iii) at least one recovery opening in the lower surface through which the liquid is recovered from the immersion region.