| 摘要 |
A device for effectively purging part of an ultraviolet path in an exposure apparatus with inert gas has been developed in an exposure apparatus for forming a mask pattern on a photosensitive substrate via a projection optical system by using ultraviolet rays as exposure light. An exposure apparatus according to this invention includes a chuck for holding a substrate, a stage for aligning the substrate via the chuck, a mechanism for purging an exposure optical path near the stage with inert gas, and a top plate which is mounted on the stage and forms a surface almost flush with the surface of the substrate. A gap is formed between the side surface of the substrate and the top plate, and the depth of the gap is equal to or larger than the width of the gap. Oxygen, moisture, or the like in the gap can be satisfactorily purged. This invention can provide an exposure apparatus for strictly removing oxygen in the exposure optical path and performing stable exposure.
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