An
exposure apparatus uses a dioptric projection optical
system easy to manufacture and a
mask of an ordinary size, and is able to effect a projection
exposure in a
high resolution with high
throughput, while securing a large effective image-side
numerical aperture through the intervention of a high-refractive-index medium in an
optical path between the projection optical
system and a photosensitive substrate. The
exposure apparatus is configured to effect a projection exposure of a reduced image of a pattern formed on the
mask (R), through the projection optical
system (PL) onto the photosensitive substrate (W). Where a
refractive index of an
atmosphere in an
optical path of the projection optical system is 1, the
optical path between the projection optical system and the photosensitive substrate is filled with a medium having the
refractive index larger than 1.1. The projection optical system has still exposure regions substantially smaller than
one shot-area to be formed on the photosensitive substrate, and repeats a projection exposure in a portion of the shot-area more than once in the projection exposure in the shot-area.