Patent ID: 7367138

Claim:
An apparatus for reducing particle contamination of a reticle surface, the apparatus comprising: a reticle-holding device that holds a reticle on a surface of the reticle-holding device; a thermophoresis device situated relative to and spaced from the surface of the reticle-holding device, the thermophoresis device producing a thermophoretic force, in a gas flowing past and contacting a surface of the reticle being held by the reticle-holding device, sufficient to inhibit particles in the gas from contacting the reticle surface; and an electrophoresis device situated relative to and spaced from the surface of the reticle-holding device and situated relative to a region of the reticle surface contacted by the gas, the electrophoresis device being configured to deflect particles, having an electrostatic charge, in the gas away from the region as the gas flows past the region.