Patent ID: 7009684

Claim:
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to a pattern of a reticle, said apparatus comprising: a reticle stage, to hold the reticle, the substrate is exposed to the pattern of the reticle on said reticle stage; a stage housing, surrounding said reticle stage, to be filled with a first atmosphere therein, the first atmosphere being different from a second atmosphere of an outside of said stage housing; a load-lock chamber through which the reticle is transferred from the outside of said stage housing to an inside of said stage housing; and a stocker, for stocking the reticle which has been transferred from the outside of said stage housing through said load-lock chamber, said stocker having a unit to selectively open said stocker for exposing an inside of said stocker to the inside of said stage housing to transfer the reticle between said reticle stage and said stocker.