Abstract: A displacement measurement system, in particular for measuring the displacement of a substrate table in a lithographic apparatus relative to a reference frame is presented. The displacement measure system includes a plurality of displacement sensors mounted to the substrate table and a target associated with each displacement sensor mounted to the reference frame.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system to condition a radiation beam. A patterning support holds a patterning device that imparts the radiation beam with a pattern to form a patterned radiation beam. A substrate support holds a substrate. A projection system projects the patterned radiation beam onto the substrate. A positioning system positions the patterning support and the substrate support. The positioning system has a motor with a stator and a mover coupled to a support, and an associated motor control system with a controller providing an output for controlling currents applied to the motor. The motor control system determines a controller output required to compensate for a weight of mover and associated support, determines a deviation of this output from an output required to compensate the gravity force acting on the mover and associated support, and corrects the currents applied to the motor based on the deviation.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus in which a balance mass is supported by a base frame using at least one supporting member which is coupled to both the base frame and balance mass. Free horizontal movement is provided by providing the supporting member with at least two pivot points.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a substrate table to hold a substrate; a substrate table position measurement system to measure a position quantity of the substrate table, a projection system to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, a fluid supply system to supply an immersion fluid in a space between a downstream lens of the projection system and the substrate, and a fluid supply system position measurement system to measure a position quantity of the fluid supply system. To prevent a collision between the fluid supply system and the substrate table, a damage control system of the lithographic apparatus may include a calculator to calculate a dimensional quantity of a gap between the fluid supply system and the substrate table from the positioned quantity of the substrate table and the position quantity of the fluid supply system. The damage control system may generate a warning signal when the dimensional quantity goes beyond a predetermined safety level.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus has an illumination system that conditions a radiation beam and a patterning device support that supports a patterning device. The patterning device patterns the radiation beam. The lithographic apparatus also has a substrate support that supports a substrate, a machine frame that supports the substrate support, a projection system that projects the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a substrate support drive that moves the substrate support in at least one direction. The lithographic apparatus can have a reaction mass, a balance mass, a base frame, where the substrate support drive is configured to generate a force in the at least one direction between the substrate support and the reaction mass, the balance mass, or the support frame.

Abstract: A positioning device for positioning an object table comprises a frame for supporting the object table in a first direction, a motor unit constructed and arranged for exerting a first force on the object table in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and a second force on the object table in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The motor unit comprises a first part constructed and arranged to co-operate with a second part for generating the first and second force, the first part being arranged on the object table, such that both the first force and the second force are directed substantially through the centre of gravity of the object table.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus comprises a substrate table to hold a substrate and a projection system to project a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. The lithographic apparatus further comprises a fluid supply system to supply a fluid between the substrate and a final lens element of the projection system as well as a position controller to control a position of the fluid supply system. The position controller is configured to, being provided with a position quantity of the substrate, determine a desired position of the liquid supply system by adding a position offset to the position quantity of the substrate, and position the liquid supply system according to the desired position. The position quantity may comprise a position and/or rotational position of the substrate table and/or a height function of a substrate height.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes a first movable element (such as an immersion liquid supply system), which is in operation in contact with a surface of a second movable element (such as a substrate table). Further, the lithographic apparatus includes a second element controller (such as a substrate table controller) to control a position quantity of the second movable element. Disturbance forces caused by, e.g., movements of the first and second movable elements with respect to each other, due to capillary forces disturb a position of the first and second movable elements. To at least partly correct a position of the second movable element due to such disturbance forces, the lithographic apparatus includes a feedforward control path to provide a disturbance force feedforward signal to the second element controller, the feedforward control path including a disturbance force estimator to estimate a disturbance force from a position quantity of the first movable element.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam, a patterning device support constructed to support a patterning device being capable of imparting the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam, a substrate support constructed to hold a substrate, and a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate. An actuator assembly is configured to move one of the supports with six degrees of freedom comprising x, y, z, rx, ry and rz directions. A controller controls the actuator assembly, and includes at least one compensator which is designed to dynamically decouple a dynamics of the actuator assembly in the degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A porous member is used in a liquid removal system of an immersion lithographic projection apparatus to smooth uneven flows. A pressure differential across the porous member may be maintained at below the bubble point of the porous member so that a single-phase liquid flow is obtained. Alternatively, the porous member may be used to reduce unevenness in a two-phase flow.

Abstract: An actuator assembly includes a coil moveably positionable in a magnetic field generated by a magnet assembly, each of the coil and the magnet having substantially only one side facing the other. A magnetized field-shaping element is provided for shaping the magnetic field such that the magnetic field is substantially perpendicular to the direction of the electrical current for generating a force in a first degree of freedom. Thus, the coil may easily be mounted, since it does not need to be enclosed by magnet poles.

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: An immersion lithographic apparatus includes a liquid supply system member configured to contain a liquid in a space between a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and the substrate and a liquid supply system member compensator arranged to compensate an interaction between the liquid supply system member and substrate table.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus in which a reaction force is generated between a balance mass and a substrate table. The balance mass is elastically coupled to the base frame with a suspension eigenfrequency of between 0.3 and 10 Hz.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lithographic projection apparatus comprising a housing, which comprises therein a first exposure system that has at least one movable part, e.g. a movable first substrate holder, or a movable second substrate holder in a twin stage apparatus. The system is further provided with position disturbance correction system for correcting a position of the first substrate holder with respect to the patterned projection beam due to the influence of gas pressure differences or gas movements, caused by movements of the movable part. The invention also generally relates to a device manufacturing method comprising providing a lithographic projection apparatus according to the invention with a first substrate, and exposing said first substrate, wherein during said exposing of the first substrate a position thereof is corrected by means of position disturbance correction system.

Abstract: A positioning system for moving an object to a target position is presented. In an embodiment, the system includes a first actuator configured to exert a force on the object in a first direction in response to a control current, the actuator having an actuator gain and the generated force being a function of the control current and the actuator gain, the actuator including a magnet configured to induce a magnetic field; and a coil arranged in the magnetic field, the magnet and the coil being movable relative to each other. The system also includes a power supply configured to supply the control current to the actuator in response to a control signal; and a control system configured to control the force generated by the actuator by supplying the control signal to the power supply, the control signal being adapted to the actuator gain, the gain being predetermined as a function of a parameter.

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an illumination system to provide a beam of radiation, an article support to support an article to be placed in a beam path of the beam of radiation, and a clamp to clamp the article to the article support. The clamp is provided with a plurality of zones located around a circumference of the article support to create a locally adjusted pressure so as to provide a local bending moment to locally bend the article.

Abstract: In a lithographic projection apparatus and a device manufacturing method, a movable part is controlled to produce a motion, an absolute value of at least one of a fourth and a higher derivative to time of the position of the motion being limited to less than a maximal value. Specifying at least one of a fourth and a higher derivative to time of the position may help to improve settling behavior to obtain more accurate positioning.

Abstract: A lithographic projection apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a radiation system for providing a beam of radiation, a first support structure for supporting a patterning device, a second support structure for supporting a substrate, and a projection system. At least one of the first and second support structures includes a planar base, a movable stage that can be moved over the planar base, and an actuator for moving the stage. The apparatus also includes a contactless position measuring device for measuring a position of the stage, and a first pump for generating a conditioned gas flow in a volume between the measuring device and the stage. The base includes a plurality of gas channels that provide a path for the conditioned gas to flow through the base.