Patent Number: 
Section: abstract

A system and method are used to recycle gases in a lithography tool. A first chamber includes an element that emits light based on a first gas. A second chamber uses the emitted light to perform a process and includes the second gas. The first and second gases converge between the two chambers, and at least one of the gases is pumped to a storage device. From the storage device, at least one of the two gases is recycled either within the system or remote from the system and possibly reused within the system. A gaslock can couple the first chamber to the second chamber. A gas source supplies a third gas between the first and the second gas in the gaslock, such that the first gas is isolated from the second gas in the gaslock. The first, second, and/or third gas can be pumped to the storage device and routed to the recycling device. The first, second, and/or third gas can be recycled for reuse to form the emitting light.