Patent ID: 7760323

Claim:
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to light through an original plate, said apparatus comprising: an optical system disposed on an optical path between a light source and the substrate; a casing configured to accommodate said optical system; a shield configured to surround an optical path space adjacent to an end face of said optical system accommodated in said casing; a gas supply system configured to supply gas into the optical path space surrounded by said shield from a first region of said shield toward a second region of said shield, the second region facing the first region; a rectifier disposed in the second region and configured to deflect flow of the gas supplied by said gas supply system and to direct the flow outside of said shield, the rectifier having a slope inclined in such a way that an end portion of the slope on the side of the substrate is farther away from the first region than an end portion of the slope on the side of the system; and a shield plate attached to the shield on the side of the substrate and configured to reduce the flow of gas from outside of the optical path space.