A lithographic apparatus is described having a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and a substrate with liquid, a barrier member arranged to substantially contain the liquid within the space, and a heater.

An actuator for an optic mount in a vacuum environment includes a bellows around an actuator compartment. The bellows provides a seal around the actuator. A filter assembly is positioned between the actuator compartment and an interior of a vacuum chamber. The filter assembly includes a first particle filter, a second particle filter, and a purifier medium between the first particle filter and the second particle filter. Vacuum conditions in the actuator compartment can be achieved with a pump for the vacuum chamber, but particles and contaminants from the actuator or actuator compartment are captured by the filter assembly.

In a mask review method, a vacuum is drawn in a vacuum chamber that contains an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) actinic mask review system including an EUV illuminator, a mask stage, a projection optics box, and an EUV imaging sensor. With the vacuum drawn, a position is adjusted of at least one component of the EUV actinic mask review system. After the adjusting and with the vacuum drawn, an actinic image is acquired of an EUV mask mounted on the mask stage using the EUV imaging sensor. The acquiring includes transmitting EUV light from the EUV illuminator onto the EUV mask and projecting at least a portion of the EUV light reflected by the EUV mask onto the EUV imaging sensor using the projection optics box.

A first x-y translation stage, a second x-y translation stage, and a chuck are disposed in a chamber. The chuck is situated above and coupled to the second x-y translation stage, which is situated above and coupled to the first x-y translation stage. The chuck is configured to support a substrate and to be translated by the first and second x-y stages in x- and y-directions, which are substantially parallel to a surface of the chuck on which the substrate is to be mounted. A first barrier and a second barrier are also disposed in the chamber. The first barrier is coupled to the first x-y translation stage to separate a first zone of the chamber from a second zone of the chamber. The second barrier is coupled to the second x-y translation stage to separate the first zone of the chamber from a third zone of the chamber.

A component for a projection exposure apparatus includes a printed circuit board arranged in an encapsulated housing and having electronic component parts, and a heat conducting structure for dissipating heat from the electronic component parts to an outer side of the housing.

An image sensor for a position sensor apparatus for ascertaining a position of at least one mirror of a lithography apparatus includes: a plurality of integrated optical waveguides; a plurality of incoupling areas; a multiplexer apparatus; and an image reconstruction apparatus.

A lithographic apparatus is described having a liquid supply system configured to at least partly fill a space between a projection system of the lithographic apparatus and a substrate with liquid, a barrier member arranged to substantially contain the liquid within the space, and a heater.

A reticle holding tool is provided. The reticle holding tool includes a housing, a reticle chuck, and a gas delivery assembly. The housing includes an opening, a top housing member, and a lateral housing member extending from the top housing member and terminating at a lower edge which is located on a predetermined plane. The reticle chuck is positioned in the housing and has an effective surface configured to secure a reticle. The effective surface is located between the predetermined plane and the top housing member. The reticle chuck is movable between two boundary lines that are perpendicular to the effective surface. A width of the opening is greater than a distance between the two boundary lines. The gas delivery assembly is positioned within the housing and configured to supply gas into the housing.

The invention relates to a vibration isolator, comprising: a base; a coupling element to be coupled to a vibration sensitive object; a decoupling mass; a first vibration isolator part arranged between the base and the decoupling mass; and a second vibration isolator part arranged between the decoupling mass and the coupling element, and wherein at least one of the first and second vibration isolator part comprises a pneumatic isolator.

A measuring apparatus for a vacuum chamber capable of accurately measuring physical properties or quantities in the vacuum chamber in an exposure process in real time, and a measuring system including the measuring apparatus are described herein. The measuring apparatus includes: a body having a shape of an exposure mask used in an exposure process; and a measuring element in an interior of the body or on a first surface of the body. When the measuring apparatus is positioned in a vacuum chamber during the exposure process, the measuring apparatus is configured to measure physical properties in the vacuum chamber using the measuring element. The body or the measuring element is configured to withstand a vacuum in the vacuum chamber including resisting or preventing physical deformation of the body or the measuring element due to the vacuum.