A catoptric projection optical system for projecting a reduced size of a pattern
on an object surface onto an image surface and for serving as an imaging system
that forms an intermediate image between the object surface and image surface,
includes six or more mirrors, wherein a position of an exit pupil with respect
to the intermediate image is located between the object surface and image surface,
and wherein the largest angle between principal rays and an optical axis for angles
of view at the position of the exit pupil is sin-;1NA or smaller, where
NA is a numerical aperture at the side of the image surface.
