Patent ID: 6888621

Claim:
A holding apparatus which holds a mask in a light exposure apparatus, the mask containing a pattern to be transferred onto a substrate by illuminating the pattern with an illumination light, and the light exposure apparatus being a scanning-type apparatus that moves the mask in a scanning direction of travel perpendicular to an optical axis of the illumination light while the mask pattern is illuminated by the illumination light, the holding apparatus comprising: a mask holder which holds the mask, wherein the mask holder travels in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; a vacuum adhesion device which generates a vacuum adhesion force between the mask and the mask holder, wherein the mask is adhered to the mask holder by the vacuum adhesion force; and an external force supplying system, which supplies an external force to the mask in order to maintain a predetermined positional relationship between the mask and the mask holder, wherein the external force is different from the vacuum adhesion force, wherein the external force effects to the mask in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction to a formation surface of the mask pattern formed on the mask, and wherein the mask is held on the mask holder by a holding force including the vacuum adhesion force and the external force.