Patent ID: 7127311

Claim:
An exposure apparatus having a plurality of units and being configured to expose a substrate to a pattern, said apparatus comprising: a scheduling unit configured to schedule a process step with respect to each lot of the substrate; a combining unit configured to combine process steps of first and second lots of the substrate, to be processed consecutively, with respect to which said scheduling unit has scheduled process steps; and a control unit configured to control said plurality of units based on the combined process steps, wherein said combining unit is configured to combine the process steps such that before completion of a process of the first lot, one of said plurality of units, which completes a process of the first lot, starts a preprocess concerning the second lot, the preprocess including at least one of a process of changing a reticle for forming the pattern, a process of adjusting said one of said plurality of units, a process of setting a condition of said one of said plurality of units, a process of calibrating said one of said plurality of units, a process of setting a correction parameter of said one of said plurality of units, and a process of aligning the reticle.