a and the light blocking blade 86 b are adjusted to properly shield the peripheral portion of the substrate cb from light a state shown in fig6 b is a state taken in step s 107 or in step s 108 in step s 109 on the substrate cb exposure is performed in conformity a pattern of the photomask m in step s 110 the moving guides 82 and the actuator 83 retract the light blocking blade 86 a and the light blocking blade 86 b from an area above the substrate cb by moving the light blocking blade 86 a and the light blocking blade 86 b in the x axis direction in step s 111 the moving base 81 is lowered in the z axis direction by the lifting guides 88 and the lifting actuator 89 in step s 112 the substrate lifter 68 is elevated so that the substrate cb is lifted from the vacuum chuck 69 the conveyance arm 92 enters a space formed below the substrate cb from the x axis direction and then the substrate cb is unloaded in this embodiment the substrate lifter 68 of the projection aligner 100 is elevated and lowered in the z axis direction accordingly the respective steps of the above mentioned flowchart are taken however the first light blocking device 80 may be configured such that the substrate lifter 68 is fixed and the vacuum chuck 69 is elevated and lowered in the z axis direction.