Exposure apparatus, coating/developing apparatus, method of transferring a substrate, method of producing a device, semiconductor production factory, and method of maintaining an exposure apparatus

A method of transferring a reticle into or out of an exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate to a light source through the reticle for patterning, said method comprising the steps of:

• controlling an ambient in an enclosure of the exposure apparatus;
• selectively opening and closing a gate valve disposed in the enclosure;
• transferring the reticle into or out of the enclosure through the gate valve;
• and
• ejecting a gas into a region in close proximity to the gate valve, and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the reticle as the reticle is transferred into or out of the enclosure,
• wherein a gas curtain is formed by the ejected gas, such that an opening of the gate valve is shielded by the gas curtain.

A method of transferring a wafer into or out of an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a light source for patterning, said method comprising the steps of:

• controlling an ambient in an enclosure;
• selectively opening and closing a gate valve disposed in the enclosure;
• transferring the wafer into or out of the enclosure through the gate valve;
• and
• ejecting a gas into a region in close proximity to the gate valve, and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wafer as the wafer is transferred into or out of the enclosure,
• wherein a gas curtain is formed by the ejected gas, such that an opening of the gate valve is shielded by the gas curtain.

A coating/developing apparatus including a resist coating unit for coating a resist on a wafer, a patterning unit for exposing the wafer to a light source for patterning, and a developing unit for developing the wafer, said coating/developing apparatus comprising:

• an enclosure in which the resist coating unit and the developing unit are disposed, said enclosure having a controllable internal environment;
• a gate valve through which the wafer is transferred into or out of said enclosure;
• and
• gas ejection means for ejecting a gas into a region in close proximity to said gate valve, and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the wafer as the wafer is transferred into or out of said enclosure,
• wherein a gas curtain is formed by the gas ejected by said gas ejection means, such that an opening of said gate valve is shielded by the gas curtain.

A photolithography apparatus comprising:

• a light source for exposing a substrate for patterning;
• a first chamber having a controllable internal ambient;
• a second chamber, adjacent to the first chamber, the second chamber having a controllable internal ambient;
• a selectively openable gate valve disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, for permitting transfer of the substrate between the first and second chambers;
• and
• a gas ejection nozzle disposed in at least one of the first and second chambers, near the gate valve,
• wherein, when the gate valve is opened to transfer a substrate between the first chamber and the second chamber, the gas ejection nozzle ejects a stream of gas in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the substrate is transferred to form a gas curtain that reduces intrusion of the internal ambient of one of the first and second chambers into the other of the first and second chambers as compared to a case where no gas curtain is formed.

A method of transferring a substrate between a first chamber of a photolithographic exposure apparatus in which the substrate is exposed to a light source for patterning and a second chamber of the photolithographic exposure apparatus through a gate valve disposed between the first and second chambers, the method comprising the steps of:

• opening the gate valve;
• transferring the substrate between the first chamber and the second chamber through the gate valve;
• and
• ejecting a stream of air near the opening of the gate valve, and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the substrate is transferred, to form a gas curtain that reduces intrusion of an internal ambient of one of the first and second chambers into the other of the first and second chambers as compared to a case where no gas curtain is formed.

An exposure method comprising the steps of:

• providing an enclosure having a controllable internal ambient in an exposure apparatus that performs patterning of a substrate;
• transferring the substrate into or out of the enclosure using a gate valve;
• ejecting, using gas ejection means, a gas into a region in close proximity to the gate valve, and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the substrate as the substrate is transferred into or out of the enclosure;
• and
• forming a gas curtain by the gas ejected in said ejecting step, such that an opening of the gate valve is shielded by the gas curtain.