US Patent 7732121 Near-field exposure method

A near-field exposure method includes closely contacting an exposure mask having a light blocking film with small openings, to a photoresist layer formed on a substrate having surface unevenness, and projecting the exposure light of the exposure light source onto the exposure mask so that the photoresist is exposed based on near-field light escaping from the small openings, wherein the near-field exposure is carried out under a condition that a contact region where the light blocking film and the photoresist layer are in contact with each other and a liquid region filled with a liquid between the light blocking film and the photoresist layer coexist between the light blocking film and the photoresist layer.