The invention relates to an actuator device for use in a positioning system, wherein the actuator device is linearly movable within a plane with respect to a supporting structure of the positioning system as well as such a positioning system implementing such an actuator device.

In an example of the actuator device according to the invention, it comprises a carrier having a longitudinal and a transversal dimension; and multiple groups of coil assemblies mounted in the carrier, each group of coil assemblies being structured to orientate the carrier in at least one degree of freedom.

The single design actuator device according to the invention has limited constructional dimensions and allows high accuracy as to motion and position in multiple degrees of freedom.

A liquid immersion lithography apparatus includes: an optical assembly having a last optical element; a stage assembly having a recess in which a substrate is held by a holder, the stage assembly having a stage upper surface arranged such that the stage upper surface and an upper surface of the substrate held in the recess by the holder are substantially coplanar; a first inlet via which immersion liquid is drawn; a containment member arranged to surround the last optical element of the optical assembly; and an actuator by which the containment member is moved relative to the last optical element. The immersion liquid covers a portion of the upper surface of the substrate and the substrate is exposed through the immersion liquid.

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 displacement device including a stage and a stator, wherein the stator is shaped to provide a working region and the stator includes: a plurality of magnet blocks of the first kind, each magnet block of the first kind including a plurality of first magnets generally linearly elongated in the X-direction, and a plurality of magnet blocks of the second kind, each magnet block of the second kind including a plurality of second magnets generally linearly elongated in the Y-direction. The stage is movably arranged next to the stator in the Z-direction, and the stage includes: a coil block of the first kind, each coil block of the first kind including a plurality of electric conductors generally linearly elongated in the X-direction; and a coil block of the second kind, each coil block of the second kind including a plurality of electric conductors generally linearly elongated in the Y-direction.

An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate with illumination light via a liquid. A liquid immersion member of the exposure apparatus has a lower surface, a plurality of collection ports, and a plurality of supply ports. The lower surface has an opening through which illumination light passes. The collection ports are arranged at the lower surface to surround the opening, and the supply ports are arranged at the lower surface and between the opening and the collection ports to surround the opening, such that the liquid is supplied via the supply ports onto the substrate while the substrate is arranged opposite to a plane-convex lens of a projection optical system and such that the liquid is collected via the collection ports from the substrate.

A thermal conditioning unit to thermally condition a substrate in a lithographic apparatus, the thermal conditioning unit including: a thermal conditioning element having a first layer, in use, facing the substrate and including a material having a thermal conductivity of 100 W/mK or more, a second layer and a heat transfer component positioned between the first and second layers; and a stiffening member which is stiffer than the thermal conditioning element and configured to support the thermal conditioning element so as to reduce mechanical deformation thereof, wherein the thermal conditioning element is thermally isolated from the stiffening member.

In a substrate stage, when a Y coarse movement stage moves in the Y-axis direction, an X coarse movement stage, a weight cancellation device, and an X guide move integrally in the Y-axis direction with the Y coarse movement stage, and when the X coarse movement stage moves in the X-axis direction on the Y coarse movement stage, the weight cancellation device move on the X guide in the X-axis direction integrally with the X coarse movement stage. Because the X guide is provided extending in the X-axis direction while covering the movement range of the weight cancellation device in the X-axis direction, the weight cancellation device is constantly supported by the X guide, regardless of its position. Accordingly, a substrate can be guided along the XY plane with good accuracy.

A lithographic projection apparatus includes a projection system and a liquid confinement member extending along a boundary of a space under the projection system. The liquid confinement member has (i) a first opening facing downwardly via which a liquid is removed from a gap to be formed under the liquid confinement member, and (ii) a second opening facing downwardly via which fluid is removed from the gap to be formed under the liquid confinement member, the second opening being located radially outward of the first opening with respect to the space. The liquid in the space covers a portion of an upper surface of a substrate and the substrate is exposed through the liquid in the space.

The disclosure pertains to an optical apparatus, in particular for microlithography, that includes an optical module, a support structure and a connection apparatus. The connection apparatus includes at least one connection unit which includes a first connector part and a second connector part. The first connector part is connected to the optical module, and the second connector part is connected to the support structure.

A table device including: a first member; a second member; a first guide device guiding the second member; a table supported by the second member; a first movable member connected to the table; a second movable member connected to the table; a first bearing member movably supporting the first movable member; a second bearing member movably supporting the second movable member; an actuator; and a gravity compensation device that includes a first supply portion supplying a gas to a first space facing the first movable member, a first adjustment portion adjusting an amount of the gas from the first supply portion, a second supply portion supplying a gas to a second space facing the second movable member, and a second adjustment portion adjusting an amount of the gas from the second supply portion, and can adjust a pressure in each of the first and second spaces.