Abstract: A lithographic apparatus of the scanning type in which reticle masking blades 7 are opened at the beginning of a scan. Means are provided to compensate for an increase in the intensity density of the illumination beam as the reticle masking blades are opened. These means may comprise lamp control means 10 for controlling a compensating decrease in the lamp intensity. The reticle masking blades 70 may be manufactured of, e.g., quartz and provided with a reflective rear coating, e.g. of aluminum, so that portions of the illumination beam intercepted by the reticle masking blades are totally internally reflected.

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.