Abstract: A negative photoresist emulsion, wherein after a film of negative photoresist emulsion on a substrate has been exposed for pattern writing in vacuum to charged particle beams or soft X-ray beams, the film-coated substrate is transferred to, and kept in, a chamber filled with non-oxidizing gas, and then the substrate is removed to the outside atmosphere. By this method, a curing effect of the photoresist film is prevented, enabling formation of fine patterns with precision. An apparatus for carrying out the above method has a gas chamber filled with non-oxidizing gas connected to an exposure chamber, and the substrate, after such exposure, is kept in an atmosphere of non-oxidizing gas in the gas chamber before being removed to the outside atmosphere. In either the above-method or apparatus, the concentration of oxygen in the non-oxidizing gas must be less than 5%, preferably less than 1%.

Abstract: A negative photoresist emulsion, wherein after a film of negative photoresist emulsion on a substrate has been exposed for pattern writing in vacuum to charged particle beams or soft X-ray beams, the film-coated substrate is transferred to, and kept in, a chamber filled with non-oxidizing gas, and then the substrate is removed to the outside atmosphere. By this method, a curing effect of the photoresist film is prevented, enabling formation of fine patterns with precision. An apparatus for carrying out the above method, has a gas chamber filled with non-oxidizing gas connected to an exposure chamber, and the substrate, after such exposure, is kept in an atmosphere of non-oxidizing gas in the gas chamber before being removed to the outside atmosphere. In either the above-method or apparatus, the concentration of oxygen in the non-oxidizing gas must be less than 5%, preferably less than 1%.