Abstract: A positioning system, such as may be used to position a moveable object table in three degrees of freedom. More particularly, the invention relates to the use of the positioning system in a lithographic projection apparatus including an illumination system for supplying a projection beam of radiation, a first object table for holding a mask, a second, movable object table for holding a substrate, and a projection system for imaging an irradiated portion of the mask onto a target portion of the substrate.

Abstract: A positioning device has first and second object holders that are guided over a guiding surface extending parallel to an X-direction and parallel to a Y-direction perpendicular to the X-direction and which are displaceable over the guiding surface from a first position into a second position by means of a displacement system. The displacement system includes a first displacement unit and a second displacement unit to which the object holders can be alternately coupled. The first displacement unit is suitable for carrying out a first series of positioning steps of the first object holder in the first position and for displacing the first object holder from the first position into an intermediate position between the first and second positions.