Patent ID: 6888617

Claim:
A lithography system comprising: a reticle stage contained within a first chamber; an illumination source; an optical device contained within a second chamber; a wafer stage contained within a third chamber; a first reverse double bellows seal which includes, a plurality of rings including first and second end rings and a first middle ring, the first end ring being connected to the first chamber, and the second end ring being connected to the second chamber; a first bellows formed from a flexible material, the first bellows being sealingly connected between the first end ring and the first middle ring, the first bellows having a twist bias in a first rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings; and a second bellows formed from a flexible material, the second bellows being sealingly connected between the second end ring and the first middle ring, the second bellows having a twist bias in a second rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings that is opposite that of the first rotational direction; and a second reverse double bellows seal which includes, a plurality of rings including third and fourth end rings and a second middle ring, the third end ring being connected to the second chamber, and the fourth end ring being connected to the third chamber; a third bellows formed from a flexible material, the third bellows being sealingly connected between the third end ring and the second middle ring, the third bellows having a twist bias in a third rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings; and a fourth bellows formed from a flexible material, the fourth bellows being sealingly connected between the fourth end ring and the second middle ring, the fourth bellows having a twist bias in a fourth rotational direction relative to an axis of the rings that is opposite that of the third rotational direction.