An apparatus for cleaning an electrostatic reticle holder used in a lithography system includes a chamber for providing a low pressure environment for the electrostatic reticle holder and an ultrasound transducer configured to apply ultrasound waves to the electrostatic reticle holder. The apparatus further includes a controller configured to control the ultrasound transducer and a gas flow controller. The gas flow controller is configured to enable pressurizing or depressurizing the chamber.

An imprint lithography apparatus having a first frame to be mounted on a floor, a second frame mounted on the first frame via a kinematic coupling, an alignment sensor mounted on the second frame, to align an imprint lithography template arrangement with a target portion of a substrate, and a position sensor to measure a position of the imprint lithography template arrangement and/or a substrate stage relative to the second frame.

An optical imaging arrangement includes an optical projection system, a support structure system and a control device. The optical projection system includes a group of optical elements supported by the support structure system and configured to transfer, in an exposure process using exposure light along an exposure light path, an image of a pattern of a mask onto a substrate. The group of optical elements includes a first optical element and a second optical element and the control device includes a sensor device and an active device. The sensor device is functionally associated to the first optical element and is configured to capture mechanical disturbance information representative of a mechanical disturbance acting on the first optical element in at least one degree of freedom up to all six degrees of freedom.

A supporting member on which a wafer table is mounted is substantially kinematically supported, via six rod members placed on a slider. Further, coupling members are placed facing in a non-contact manner via a predetermined gap, thin plate-shaped edges provided at both ends in the Y-axis direction of the supporting member. By this arrangement, vibration-damping is performed by the coupling members (squeeze dampers) facing the edges, on vibration of the supporting member mounted on the wafer table. Further, because the supporting member is kinematically supported via the plurality of rod members, it becomes possible to reduce deformation of the wafer table that accompanies deformation of the slider.

A lithographic apparatus is described, the apparatus comprising: a projection system configured to project a patterned beam of radiation onto a substrate; the projection system comprising a plurality of optical elements; a sensor frame; a first position measurement system configured to measure a position of the plurality of optical elements relative to the sensor frame; wherein the sensor frame comprises: N sub-frames, N being an integer >1, a coupling system coupling the N sub-frames and a second position measurement system configured to determine a relative position of the N sub-frames.

A separable integrated type vibration isolator includes: divided vibration isolator units comprising casings having accommodation spaces formed open on tops thereof and reinforced concrete comprising reinforcing bars arranged in the accommodation spaces and the connection spaces and concrete cast in the accommodation spaces; casing connection parts for connecting the casings of the divided vibration isolator units to each other; reinforcing bar connection parts for connecting the reinforcing bars exposed to the connection spaces of the neighboring divided vibration isolator units to each other; and fillers adapted to be cast in the connection spaces where the plurality of divided vibration isolator units is connected to form reinforced concrete.

The present invention relates to a positioning system, comprising: a first actuator to exert an actuation force on a moveable body, the first actuator being coupled to a balance mass configured to absorb a reaction force resulting from the actuation force, the actuation force providing an acceleration of the moveable body and the reaction force providing an acceleration of the balance mass, wherein a force resulting from the acceleration of the moveable body together with a force resulting from the acceleration of the balance mass result in a balance mass torque; a balance mass support to support the balance mass onto a frame, which balance mass support engages the frame at a support position; and a torque compensator; wherein the torque compensator exerts a compensation force to compensate the balance mass torque, and wherein the torque compensator exerts the compensation force on the frame at the support position.

A target supply device includes a vibrating element driven by a square wave electric signal and configured to generate a droplet of a target substance by vibrating the target substance to be output from a nozzle through a vibration propagating path; a temperature adjusting mechanism configured to adjust, to a specified temperature, a temperature of a vibration propagating path member including at least part of the vibration propagating path; a droplet detecting unit configured to output a signal containing information on a droplet detection interval indicating a time interval of droplets continuously generated; and a control unit configured to determine, based on the droplet detection interval, an operation specified temperature that is the specified temperature of the vibration propagating path member and an operation duty value that is a duty value of the electric signal used for driving the vibrating element when the droplet is irradiated with the laser beam.

The present invention relates to a lithographic apparatus, comprising: a primary frame (10) which is provided with a functional unit (11, 12, 14), a secondary frame (20), a primary frame support (30), which is adapted to support the primary frame onto the secondary frame, a flexible utility connection (40), adapted to connect the functional unit to an auxiliary system (51, 52, 53), a vibration isolation body (60) having a body mass, which is moveably connected to the secondary frame by a flexible passive body support (61) having a body support stiffness, wherein the flexible utility connection is fixed to the vibration isolation body at a distance from the primary frame.

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.