IP Library Granted Patent US 7,440,077
Granted Patent B2
US 7,440,077 · App. 11/324,290 · Granted Oct 21, 2008

Exposure apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,440,077
App. No.
11/324,290
Granted
Oct 21, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

The exposure apparatus of the invention includes a chamber 1 housing an exposure apparatus body 6 provided with an illumination optical system 2 , a reticle 3 , a projection lens 4 and a stage 5 , gas supply units 7, 13, 17 and 18 that are disposed in the chamber 1 and supply gas taken in from the outside of the chamber 1 to the vicinities of the reticle 3 and stage 5 and a wet filter 10 which is disposed in the vicinity of a gas intake 8 from which the gas is supplied to the gas supply units 7, 13, 17 and 18 and forms a water film through which the gas passes.

Claims (28)

1. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a chamber housing an exposure apparatus body having an illumination optical system, a reticle, a projection lens and a stage;

a first gas supply unit which is disposed in said chamber and supplies gas taken in from the outside of said chamber to the vicinities of said reticle and stage; and

a wet filter which is disposed upstream side of said first gas supply unit and used by forming a water film through which the gas passes, wherein said wet filter has a structure in which a filter body comprises a porous ceramic and water jetted from a water jetting unit disposed on the upper portion of said filter body is supplied to said filter body.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , the exposure apparatus further comprising:

a reticle stocker room independent of said chamber; and

a second gas supply unit which is disposed in said reticle stocker room for supplying the gas introduced from outside of the room to a reticle stocker,

a wet filter which is disposed upstream side of the said second gas supply unit.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 , the exposure apparatus further comprising a dust collecting filter,

wherein the dust collecting filter is disposed together with said wet filter in a gas passage of said first gas supply unit.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein said dust collecting filter comprises one or more filters selected from the group consisting of a chemical filter for acid gas removal, a filter for alkaline gas removal, a filter for organic gas removal and a photocatalyst filter utilizing titanium oxide or a Ti-V type thin film.

5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3 , the exposure apparatus further comprising a temperature and humidity controller which controls the temperature and humidity of the gas and is disposed downstream of said wet filter.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the dust collecting filter, an air blower, said wet filter and said temperature and humidity controller are arranged in this order to constitute a filter unit and said filter unit is connected to said chamber or a reticle stocker room.

7. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a chamber housing an exposure apparatus body having an illumination optical system, a reticle, a projection lens and a stage;

a first gas supply unit which is disposed in said chamber and supplies gas taken in from the outside of said chamber to the vicinities of said reticle and stage; and

a wet filter which is disposed upstream side of said first gas supply unit and used by wetting a filter body with water, wherein said wet filter has a structure in which said filter body comprises a porous ceramic and water jetted from a water jetting unit disposed on the upper portion of said filter body is supplied to said filter body.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 , the exposure apparatus further comprising:

a reticle stocker room independent of said chamber; and

a second gas supply unit which is disposed in said reticle stocker room for supplying the gas introduced from outside of the room to a reticle stocker,

a wet filter which is disposed upstream side of the said second gas supply unit.

9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 , the exposure apparatus further comprising a dust collecting filter,

wherein the dust collecting filter is disposed together with said wet filter in a gas passage of said first gas supply unit.

10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein said dust collecting filter comprises one or more filters selected from the group consisting of a chemical filter for acid gas removal, a filter for alkaline gas removal, a filter for organic gas removal and a photocatalyst filter utilizing titanium oxide or a Ti-V type thin film.

11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9 , the exposure apparatus further comprising a temperature and humidity controller which controls the temperature and humidity of the gas and is disposed downstream of said wet filter.

12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the dust collecting filter, an air blower, said wet filter and said temperature and humidity controller are arranged in this order to constitute a filter unit and said filter unit is connected to said chamber or a reticle stocker room.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044928/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 11, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025346/0877 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2006
From: NAGAHARA, SEIJI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 017440/0564 →