Exposing systems providing post exposure baking and related methods

Abstract

A system for photolithography may include an exposure chamber providing a first isolated environment, an exposure stage in the exposure chamber, a radiation source, an interface chamber providing a second isolated environment, a port, a post exposure bake heater in the interface chamber, and a wafer handler. The exposure stage may be configured to receive a wafer having photoresist thereon to be exposed, and the radiation source may be configured to provide exposing radiation to the wafer being exposed. The port may be configured to allow wafer transport between the first and second isolated environments of the exposure and interface chambers, and the post exposure bake heater may be configured to bake the wafer after exposure. The wafer handler may be configured to move the wafer from the interface chamber through the port into the exposure chamber before exposure, to move the wafer from the exposure chamber through the port to the interface chamber after exposure, and to move the wafer to the post exposure bake heater after moving the wafer from the exposure chamber. Moreover, at least one of a photoresist coating unit and/or a photoresist developing unit may be excluded from the first and second isolated environments of the exposure and interface chambers. Related methods are also discussed.