Patent ID: 9081298
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: G03B,G03F

Abstract:
1. A lithographic projection apparatus, comprising: a substrate table which holds a substrate; a projection system which projects a patterned beam of radiation onto the substrate through a liquid which is confined in a space between the projection system and the substrate, wherein the substrate, the substrate table, or both forms a part of a boundary of the space; a member having a flat upper surface and forming a part of a boundary of the space in place of the substrate, the substrate table, or both; an actuator which moves the member independently from the substrate table in a horizontal direction; and a controller configured to control movement of the substrate table and the member so that the substrate table and the member are positioned adjacent to each other by a relative movement between the substrate table and the member in the horizontal direction, and the substrate table and the member are configured to, while being controlled by the controller to be adjacent to each other and moved relative to and below the projection system, maintain the liquid in the space in contact with the projection system while the controller controls the movement so that a border between the substrate table and the member moves in an area directly below the projection system during transitioning between a first state in which the substrate, the substrate table, or both forms the part of the boundary and a second state in which the member forms the part of the boundary in place of the substrate, the substrate table or both.