The invention provides a pneumatic support device for a lithographic apparatus and a lithographic apparatus with such support device. The support device comprises a gas spring. The gas spring comprises a suspending part, a suspended part, and a pressure chamber configured for supporting the suspended part relative to the suspending part. The support device further comprises an actuator configured for positioning the suspended part relative to the suspending part, an acceleration sensor configured for generating a first sensor signal representative for the acceleration of the suspending part, a pressure sensor configured for generating a second sensor signal representative for the pressure in the pressure chamber, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to: receive the first sensor signal, receive the second sensor signal, filter the first sensor signal in a low-pass filter, filter the second sensor signal in a high-pass filter, determine, based on the filtered first sensor signal and filtered second sensor signal, a force exerted by the suspending part on the suspended part, and generate, based on said force, a control signal for the actuator.

An object stage bearing system can include an object stage, a hollow shaft coupled to the object stage, and an in-vacuum gas bearing assembly coupled to the hollow shaft and the object stage. The in-vacuum gas bearing assembly can include a gas bearing, a scavenging groove, and a vacuum groove. The gas bearing is disposed along an inner wall of the in-vacuum gas bearing assembly and along an external wall of the hollow shaft. The scavenging groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the scavenging groove is isolated from the gas bearing. The vacuum groove is disposed along the inner wall such that the vacuum groove is isolated from the scavenging groove and the gas bearing.

The disclose provides a magnetic levitation gravity compensation device, including: a first magnetic steel, which is cylindrical; a second magnetic steel, which is cylindrical, arranged in the first magnetic steel and radially spaced from the first magnetic steel; and at least one end magnetic steel, which is cylindrical, and is located on at least one of two axial ends of the second magnetic steel and axially spaced from the two axial ends of the second magnetic steel, a center line of the end magnetic steel is configured to coincide with a center line of the second magnetic steel, and a cylinder wall thickness of the end magnetic steel is smaller than that of the second magnetic steel, wherein a magnetization direction of the first magnetic steel is a radial direction, and a magnetization direction of the second magnetic steel and the end magnetic steel is an axial direction.

A microlithographic arrangement, for example using light in the extreme UV range, includes a supporting structure for supporting an optical unit, the mass of which can be 4 t to 14 t. The supporting structure includes a number of separate supporting units for supporting the optical unit. Each of the supporting units includes an air bearing unit by way of which a supporting force which counteracts the weight of the optical unit can be generated. The number of supporting units is at least four, at least two of the supporting units being coupled via a coupling device to form a supporting unit pair in such a way that the coupling device counteracts a deviation from a predeterminable ratio of the supporting forces of the two supporting units of the supporting unit pair.

A vibration isolation system including a support, a forward actuator and a return device. The support is for supporting the body on a base. The support has a body engaging surface and a base engaging surface. The base engaging surface is arranged to couple to the base. The support couples the body engaging surface to the body in a coupled state. The support uncouples the body engaging surface from the body in an uncoupled state. The forward actuator moves the body and the body engaging surface together relatively to the base in a first direction from a first initial position to an end position in the coupled state. The return device is configured to move the body engaging surface relatively to the body opposite to the first direction from the end position to a second initial position in the uncoupled state.

The invention relates to a bearing device arranged to support in a vertical direction a first part of an apparatus with respect to a second part of the apparatus, comprising a magnetic gravity compensator. The magnetic gravity compensator comprises: a first permanent magnet assembly mounted to one of the first part and the second part and comprising at least a first column of permanent magnets, the first column extending in the vertical direction, wherein the permanent magnets have a polarization direction in a first horizontal direction or in a second horizontal direction opposite to the first horizontal direction, wherein vertically adjacent permanent magnets have opposite polarization directions, a second permanent magnet assembly mounted to the other of the first part and the second part and comprising at least one other column of permanent magnets, the at least one other column extending in the vertical direction, wherein vertically adjacent permanent magnets of the at least one other column have opposite polarization directions in the first horizontal direction or the second horizontal direction, wherein the first permanent magnet assembly at least partially encloses the second permanent magnet assembly.

A microlithographic arrangement, for example using light in the extreme UV range, includes a supporting structure for supporting an optical unit, the mass of which can be 4 t to 14 t. The supporting structure includes a number of separate supporting units for supporting the optical unit. Each of the supporting units includes an air bearing unit by way of which a supporting force which counteracts the weight of the optical unit can be generated. The number of supporting units is at least four, at least two of the supporting units being coupled via a coupling device to form a supporting unit pair in such a way that the coupling device counteracts a deviation from a predeterminable ratio of the supporting forces of the two supporting units of the supporting unit pair.

Provided is a coating apparatus including: a stage unit which floats the substrate to a predetermined height by using wind pressure of gas; a droplet discharge unit which drops the droplet of the functional liquid on the substrate floated to the predetermined height from the stage unit; a main scanning direction moving unit which moves the substrate, which is floated to the predetermined height from the stage unit, in the main scanning direction while holding the substrate; and a sub-scanning direction moving unit which moves the droplet discharge unit in the sub-scanning direction with respect to the substrate floated to the predetermined height from the stage unit. The sub-scanning direction moving unit moves the droplet discharge unit in the sub-scanning direction while the main scanning direction moving unit repeatedly moves the substrate in the main scanning direction and the droplet discharge unit repeatedly drops the droplet.

A system includes optics for ultraviolet light or electrons. The optics are situated in a chamber and include a surface to control a path of photons or electrons. The system also includes a lubricated component that is distinct from the surface and is situated in the chamber. The lubricated component is lubricated with a lubricant that includes an ionic liquid having a cation and an anion, wherein at least one of the cation or the anion is organic.

The invention provides a pneumatic support device for a lithographic apparatus and a lithographic apparatus with such support device. The support device comprises a gas spring. The gas spring comprises a suspending part, a suspended part, and a pressure chamber configured for supporting the suspended part relative to the suspending part. The support device further comprises an actuator configured for positioning the suspended part relative to the suspending part, an acceleration sensor configured for generating a first sensor signal representative for the acceleration of the suspending part, a pressure sensor configured for generating a second sensor signal representative for the pressure in the pressure chamber, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to: receive the first sensor signal, receive the second sensor signal, filter the first sensor signal in a low-pass filter, filter the second sensor signal in a high-pass filter, determine, based on the filtered first sensor signal and filtered second sensor signal, a force exerted by the suspending part on the suspended part, and generate, based on said force, a control signal for the actuator.