Abstract: An immersion lithographic apparatus is cleaned by use of a cleaning liquid consisting essentially of ultra-pure water and (a) a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ozone, or (b) hydrogen peroxide at a concentration of up to 5%, or (c) ozone at a concentration of up to 50 ppm, or (d) oxygen at concentration of up to 10 ppm, or (e) any combination selected from (a)-(d).

Abstract: A lithographic apparatus is disclosed having an in situ ozonizer, which is used to produce ozone gas, for example, by UV irradiation of an oxygen-containing gas. The thus produced ozone is dissolved in ultra-pure water by contacting the ozone with the ultra-pure water through a permeable membrane.

Abstract: A method of removing contamination from an apparatus used in lithography is disclosed. The method includes loading a substrate into the apparatus, the substrate comprising a rigid support layer and a deformable layer provided on the rigid support layer, bringing the deformable layer of the substrate into contact with a surface of the apparatus from which contamination is to be removed, introducing relative movement between the deformable layer and the surface of the apparatus from which contamination is to be removed to dislodge contamination from the surface for removal, and removing the dislodged contamination. Other aspects of the invention are also described and claimed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device of inspecting contamination particles on an object comprising a patterned structure. The device includes a radiation system for directing a radiation beam to the object. The object is configured to scatter the beam. The device also includes an optical system arranged to receive scattered radiation from the object, and a filter provided in the optical system. The filter is associated with the patterned structure so as to filter out radiation from the scattered radiation. The device also includes a detector arranged to detect a fraction of radiation that is transmitted by the filter. Accordingly, contamination particles may be detected quickly and accurately.