  We study the liquid-gas phase transition of stellar matter with the inclusion
of the finite-size effect from surface and Coulomb energies. The equilibrium
conditions for two coexisting phases are determined by minimizing the total
free energy including the surface and Coulomb contributions, which are
different from the Gibbs conditions used in the bulk calculations. The
finite-size effect can significantly reduce the region of the liquid-gas mixed
phase. The influence of the symmetry energy on the liquid-gas phase transition
is investigated with the inclusion of finite-size effects. It is found that the
slope of the symmetry energy plays an important role in determining the
boundary and properties of the mixed phase.
