Optical exposure method, device manufacturing method and lithographic projection apparatus

An optical exposure method carried out on a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material, the method comprising the steps of: providing a plurality of projection beams of radiation; a first irradiating step of irradiating a peripheral annulus of the layer of radiation-sensitive material with a first one of said projection beams; and a second irradiating step of irradiating at least one inner portion of the radiation-sensitive material situated nearer the center of the substrate than the inner periphery of the outer region with a second one of said projection beams; wherein said first and second irradiating steps are carried out with the substrate positioned at the same location. The method can be used for edge bead removal (both coarse and fine detail) and marker clearout at a single station. Stencils can be used to modify the shape and size of the irradiating steps. Such a method can be incorporated as a part of a device manufacturing method but can be used as an single method. A lithographic projection apparatus can be adapted to apply this method, and the main projection apparatus beneficially shares metrology data with the optical exposure apparatus.