An exposure apparatus includes a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a mask onto a plate to be exposed. A pupil filter has a first area arranged on a light axis of the projection optical system and a second area formed outside of the first area. The mask is one of an alternating phase shift mask and a chromeless phase shift mask, and the pattern of the mask satisfies (p/.lamda.)NA.gtoreq.0.65, where p is a half pitch of the pattern, .lamda. is a wavelength of light illuminating the mask, and NA is an image-side numerical aperture of the projection optical system, and in which, at most, 1.sup.st order light of diffracted light, which is diffracted by the pattern satisfying (p/.lamda.)NA.gtoreq.0.65 passes the first area and a part of the diffracted light having one order of at least 2.sup.nd order light passes the second area, and, with respect to the light having one order among the at least 2.sup.nd order light of the diffracted light, a phase of the light that has passed the second area and a phase of the light that has passed an area other than the second area of the pupil filter are inverted with each other.
