Lithography system, exposure apparatus and their control method, and device manufacturing method

1. A lithography system comprising:

a pre-process apparatus which performs a pre-process for a substrate; and

an exposure apparatus which exposes the substrate pre-processed by said pre-process apparatus to a pattern,

wherein said pre-process apparatus comprises a first control unit which receives an instruction for starting exposure preparation from a host computer and transmits the instruction to said exposure apparatus, and

said exposure apparatus comprises a second control unit which receives the instruction transmitted from said pre-process apparatus and causes exposure preparation to start in accordance with the received instruction.

2. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said first control unit further transmits at least one of an instruction for stopping exposure preparation, an instruction for making exposure processing stand by, an instruction for starting exposure processing, and an instruction for stopping exposure processing.

3. A system according to claim 1 , further comprising a post-process apparatus which performs a post-process for the substrate exposed by said exposure apparatus, wherein said second control unit further transmits control data for said post-process apparatus to said post-process apparatus.

4. A system according to claim 3 , wherein said post-process apparatus includes a development apparatus which performs development processing for the substrate after exposure.

5. A system according to claim 1 , wherein said pre-process apparatus includes a resist coating apparatus which coats the substrate with a resist.

6. A device manufacturing method comprising:

a step of performing a lithographic process for a substrate using a lithography system as recited in claim 1 .

7. An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate pre-processed by a pre-process apparatus to a pattern, said apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving an instruction for starting exposure preparation transmitted by a host computer via the pre-process apparatus, and

second means for causing exposure preparation to start in accordance with the instruction received by said first means.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said first means further receives at least one of an instruction for stopping exposure preparation, an instruction for making exposure processing stand by, an instruction for starting exposure processing, and an instruction for stopping exposure processing.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising means for transmitting control data for a post-process apparatus which performs a post-process for the substrate exposed by said exposure apparatus to the post-process apparatus.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the post-process apparatus includes a development apparatus which performs development processing for the substrate after exposure.

11. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the pre-process apparatus includes a resist coating apparatus which coats the substrate with a resist.

12. A device manufacturing method comprising steps of:

exposing a substrate to a pattern using an exposure apparatus as recited in claim 7 ; and

developing the exposed substrate.

13. A method adapted to a lithography system comprising a pre-process apparatus which performs a pre-process for a substrate and an exposure apparatus which exposes the substrate pre-processed by the pre-process apparatus to a pattern, said method comprising steps of:

receiving, by the pre-process apparatus, an instruction for starting exposure preparation from a host computer;

transmitting, by the pre-process apparatus, the instruction to the exposure apparatus; and

causing, by the exposure apparatus, exposure preparation to start in accordance with the instruction transmitted in said transmitting step.

14. A method adapted to an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate pre-processed by a pre-process apparatus to a pattern, said method comprising steps of:

receiving an instruction for starting exposure preparation transmitted by a host computer via the pre-process apparatus; and

causing exposure preparation to start in accordance with the instruction received in said receiving step.

15. A device manufacturing method comprising steps of:

transmitting, by a host computer, an instruction for starting exposure preparation to a pre-process apparatus which performs a pre-process for a substrate;

transmitting, by the pre-process apparatus, the instruction transmitted from the host computer to an exposure apparatus which exposes the substrate pre-processed by the pre-process apparatus to a pattern; and

causing, by the exposure apparatus, exposure preparation to start in accordance with the instruction transmitted from the pre-process apparatus.