Exposure apparatus and method

A semiconductor manufacturing factory comprising:

• manufacturing apparatuses, for performing various processes, including an exposure apparatus comprising a light-emitting portion and electrodes formed on a surface of a substrate, said light-emitting portion having a width smaller than a wavelength of light emitted from said light-emitting portion and said electrodes sandwiching said light-emitting portion along the surface and applying a voltage to said light-emitting portion for emitting the light, and a positioning mechanism that arranges the substrate so as to set a gap between said light-emitting portion and a photosensitive member to be shorter than the wavelength of the light from said light-emitting portion;
• a local area network for connecting said manufacturing apparatuses;
• and
• a gateway for allowing access to an external network outside the factory from said local area network,
• wherein data communication of information about at least one of said manufacturing apparatuses is enabled.