Carrier method, exposure method, carrier system and exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

摘要

A carrier system equipped with a fine movement stage holding a mounted wafer and can move along a predetermined plane, a chuck main section which holds the wafer above a predetermined position and can move vertically, and vertical movement pins supporting the wafer held by the chuck main section on the fine movement stage from below when the fine movement stage is positioned at the predetermined position and are vertically movable. A controller drives the chuck main section and the vertical movement pins downward until a lower surface of the wafer comes into contact with the fine movement stage while maintaining a hold state by the chuck main section to the wafer and a support state by the vertical movement pins to the wafer, and when the lower surface of the wafer comes into contact with the fine movement stage, the hold state and the support state are released.

主权项

1. A carrier method in which an object of a thin plate shape is carried into an area on a holding device, the method comprising:
supporting the object from below by a first support member which can move vertically, while the object is supported in a non-contact manner from above by a second support member in an area above the holding device, the first support member being vertically movable independently from the second support member; and driving the first support member and the second support member each downward so that the object is mounted on the holding device, and releasing the support by the first support member and the support by the second support member.