RETICLE-STORING CONTAINER, STORING CHAMBER, RETICLE-CONVEYING FACILITY AND EXPOSURE DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reticle-storing container having reduced possibility of returning dusts in the reticle storing container, which are caught by a filter, into the reticle-storing container again. SOLUTION: The filter 1f is shielded by a filter-shielding device 6a, only when a pressure in a load lock chamber 3 is changed from an evacuated state into an atmospheric pressure, while another filter 1e is shielded by a filter-shielding device 6b, only when the pressure in the load lock chamber 3 is changed from the atmospheric pressure into an evacuated state. According to such an operation, the filter 1e works as the filter exclusive for inflow gas into the reticle storing container 1, while the filter 1f works as a filter exclusive for outflow gas from the reticle storing container 1. Accordingly, dust contained in the outflow gas from the reticle storing container 1 is captured by the filter 1f, but the inflow of gas will not be effected through the filter 1f, whereby the dusts arrested by the filter 1f can be prevented from returning again into the reticle storing container 1. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI