Method for examining a wafer with regard to a contamination limit and euv projection exposure system

A method for examining at least one wafer with regard to a contamination limit, comprising:

• examining a contamination potential of a resist of the wafer, which resist outgasses contaminating substances, in an examining location;
• transferring the wafer from the examining location directly to an exposure location if the contamination potential falls below the contamination limit;
• and
• exposing the wafer at the exposure location in a projection exposure system that operates in an extreme ultraviolet wavelength range,
• wherein said examining comprises:
• arranging the wafer in a vacuum chamber comprising the examining location,
• evacuating the vacuum chamber, and
• measuring the contamination potential of the contaminating substances
• outgassed from the resist in the evacuated vacuum chamber,
• heating the wafer to an elevated temperature if the contamination potential exceeds a contamination limit;
• further measuring the contamination potential of the contaminating substances outgassed from the resist during said heating;
• and
• maintaining the wafer at least the elevated temperature until, based on said further measuring, the contamination potential falls below the contamination limit.