Patent ID: 11860552
Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
Field: Optics (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 21:
22. A stage system for positioning an object, the stage system comprising:
a member having a plurality of gas bearing devices arranged to support the object; and
a control device,
wherein each gas bearing device comprises a free surface having a porous medium in the free surface and having an inlet opening in the free surface connected to a channel formed in the porous medium,
wherein the porous medium is arranged to provide pressurized gas to the object and the inlet opening is arranged to provide a sub-atmospheric pressure to the object, wherein the porous medium is exposed to an open interior of the channel on at least part of an interior surface of the channel and has a sealing material contacted on or injected in at least a surface region of the porous medium at a location away from the interior surface of the channel and contacted on or injected in at least part of the interior surface of the channel, and
wherein the control device is arranged to change a shape of the object by controlling a pressure and/or a gas flow rate of the pressurized gas of at least one of the gas bearing devices and/or by controlling a pressure and/or a gas flow rate at the inlet opening of at least one of the gas bearing devices.