EXPOSURE SYSTEM, LITHOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND CONVEYING METHOD, AND DEVICE PRODUCTION METHOD AND DEVICE

摘要

A laser device (14) is disposed in a floor (F) area having a width which covers maintenance areas on the opposite sides of an exposure system body (12) constituting an exposure system. The exposure system body (12) and the laser device (14) are disposed on the floor (F) so that the maintenance areas for the both overlap at least partially each other. A C/D (16) is connected in-line with the front face side of the exposure system body, and a housing (22), which is provided with a transfer port (42) into which a mask container is carried by an overhead conveying system moving along a track (Hr), is provided on the connection side with the C/D of the optical axis of a projection optical system. Therefore, no extension portions from the maintenance areas on the opposite sides of the exposure system body are required to reduce a floor area requirement accordingly and simplify the structure of a mask conveying system in the exposure system body.