US Patent 7907250 Immersion lithography method

An immersion lithography method includes forming a resist layer on a substrate to be processed, performing immersion lithography in a state where liquid is locally interposed between the resist layer on the substrate and an optical system of an exposure apparatus, while the substrate and the optical system are relatively moved. In the immersion lithography, multiple exposures are performed for exposure regions in a portion of a surface of the substrate close to a rim of the substrate, and exposures of number of times smaller than the number of exposures of the multiple exposures are performed for exposure regions located inside the exposure regions.