Patent ID: 7477353

Claim:
A lithography apparatus comprising: a resist processing apparatus to perform a process of applying a resist on a substrate to be processed, a process of heating a resist film formed on the substrate, and a process of developing the resist film formed on the substrate; an immersion exposure apparatus including a projection optical system to project an image of a pattern formed on a photomask onto the resist film formed on the substrate and configured to perform exposure through liquid located on an optical path between the projection optical system and the resist film; a transporting path provided outside the resist processing apparatus and the immersion exposure apparatus and configured to connect the resist processing apparatus and the immersion exposure apparatus such that the substrate is transported from the resist processing apparatus to the immersion exposure apparatus by way of the transporting oath and from the immersion exposure apparatus to the resist processing apparatus by way of the transporting path; and a liquid removing apparatus provided on the transporting path and configured to remove liquid on a surface of the substrate.