Abstract: A lithographic apparatus may include an optical element, such as an immersion fluid reservoir, which supported at least in part by a bearing, such as a gas bearing. To enable illumination by the lithographic apparatus of an edge of the substrate, a surrounding structure is provided that surrounds the substrate. A level parameter of the substrate, such as a thickness of the substrate, is measured by a sensor, such as a thickness sensor. By means of an actuator, the substrate table on which the substrate is or will be held is positioned with respect to the surrounding structure, such that a surface of the substrate would be on a substantially same level as a surface of the surrounding structure, thus enabling the optical element to transition from the surface of the substrate to the surface of the surrounding structure and vice versa.

Abstract: A substrate or a patterning device used in a lithographic apparatus and a lithographic device manufacturing method are presented. The substrate and patterning device are aligned with respect to a patterning beam and are movably supported by a support. Resonances in said support, however, may render the manufactured device unusable and/ or may render the control system complex. Therefore an actuator assembly frame with flexible coupling devices coupled to the support is provided with a number of actuators configured to move the support in a number of degrees of freedom. Thus, the resonances are damped by the flexible coupling devices resulting in a larger bandwidth for the control system and thus enabling a better position accuracy of the support.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation and a support structure for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device serves to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section. The lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table for holding a substrate and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The apparatus has a chuck system for supporting an object, such as the substrate or the patterning device, in the lithographic apparatus. The chuck system includes a chuck for supporting the object, a frame for supporting the chuck, and a chuck support structure for supporting the chuck relative to the frame. The chuck support structure includes at least one flexure element, which flexure element is flexible in at least one degree of freedom and is coupled to the chuck and the frame.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus including an illumination system for providing a beam of radiation and a support structure for supporting a patterning device. The patterning device serving to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section. The apparatus also having a substrate table for holding a substrate and a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus further having a chuck for supporting an object and a frame which supports the chuck with respect to other parts of the lithographic apparatus. The chuck is thermally isolated from at least the frame.

Abstract: A voice coil motor used, for example, in a positioning device associated with either a first object table or a second object table in which the coil is cooled with a cooling jacket in thermal contact with the coil, the cooling jacket comprising at least one channel for circulation of a cooling fluid, the or each channel being arranged such as to be substantially located in a portion of the cooling jacket adjacent to the coil, for use, for example, in a lithographic projection apparatus including a radiation system for supplying a projection beam of radiation, a first object table for holding a mask, a second object table for holding a substrate, a projection system for imaging irradiated portions of the mask onto target portions of the substrate. The cooling jacket may be formed of a ceramic material and may be of a monolithic construction.