Patent ID: 8268541

Claim:
A lithography patterning process, comprising: providing a substrate; providing a mask chamber having a mask disposed therein, wherein the mask includes a transparent substrate, a pellicle positioned on the transparent substrate, and a pellicle frame configured to secure the pellicle to the transparent substrate such that an enclosed mask space is defined between the transparent substrate and the pellicle; continuously providing a first single atom gas that is substantially free of nitrogen into the mask chamber to maintain a first predetermined pressure within the mask chamber, such that the mask chamber has a first single atom gas environment that is substantially free of nitrogen; continuously providing a second single atom gas that is substantially free of nitrogen into the enclosed mask space to maintain a second predetermined pressure within the enclosed mask space, such that the enclosed mask space has a second single atom gas environment that is substantially free of nitrogen, wherein the second single atom gas is different than the first single atom gas; and exposing the substrate by a radiation beam having a wavelength less than or equal to 365 nm, wherein the exposing the substrate includes passing the radiation beam through the mask in the mask chamber's single atom gas environment that is substantially free of nitrogen, such that a pattern of the mask is transferred to the substrate.