To provide a method capable of exposure to a wafer circumference in the liquid immersion exposure method of a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter referred to as a wafer).

The liquid immersion exposure method is to prevent a liquid immersion solution from leaking from a wafer edge by bringing another member into close contact with the wafer edge with proper force, and filling uniformly the liquid immersion solution between a projection optical system and the wafer, in order to manufacture the semiconductor device on the wafer edge. The wafer holder has a function of bringing the wafer edge into close contact with the another member within a range of 3 mm of the wafer edge, i.e., in the neighborhood of the wafer edge such that the liquid immersion solution leaks to or drops onto the wafer chuck, wafer rear surface, and a wafer stage. In a typical example; the wafer holder includes the wafer chuck 2 for supporting a wafer and attracting and fixing the wafer, an edge-close-contact member 6 for preventing liquid from leaking from the wafer edge, a unit for driving the edge-close-contact member, and a plate 5 being substantially flush with the wafer surface installed on a wafer outer periphery.