GAS REPLACEMENT METHOD AND EXPOSURE DEVICE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To permit efficient inert gas purging within a pellicle space enclosed by a reticle and a pellicle film. SOLUTION: Openable and closable caps ah and bh are disposed at a pellicle supporting frame 25 of the device to purge the gas in the pellicle space enclosed by the reticle 23 and the pellicle film 26 and a cap attraction nozzle approaching mechanism 51, a cap attraction nozzle 52, an inert gas supply/discharge nozzle, a pellicle bending measuring instrument 70 for measuring the bending of the pellicle film 26 and an impurity detector 60 for measuring the impurity concentration within the pellicle space are disposed in mid-way of the reticle conveyance route within a hermetic chamber 36 to supply the gas for gas purging into the pellicle space.