Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A lithographic apparatus comprising:an illumination system that conditions a beam of radiation;an article support member that supports an article to be placed in a beam path of said beam of radiation; anda movable carriage for moving said article support member,wherein said carriage comprises a compartmented composite structure. 2. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said carriage provides an interface between a long stroke and a short stroke actuator, and wherein said carriage further comprises a first sensor for driving said long stroke actuator and a second sensor, positioned at a distance from said first sensor, for driving said short stroke actuator so as to arrange said article to be placed on a predetermined location. 3. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said long stroke actuator is a planar magnetic motor. 4. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said carriage comprises a non-composite mounting interface and/or cooling interface for mounting and/or cooling a short stroke actuator. 5. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said carriage is uncooled. 6. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said non-composite mounting interface comprises a metal and/or ceramic material glued to said composite material. 7. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said cooling interface comprises a metal cooling surface. 8. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said metal cooling surface is coupled to a duct for ducting coolant. 9. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said duct comprises a composite material. 10. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said composite is chosen from a group of low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) materials. 11. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said composite comprises carbon fiber. 12. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said composite structure comprises at least one composite box structure. 13. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said box structure comprises a base plate and upstanding contours. 14. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the upstanding contours are integral with the base plate. 15. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the upstanding contours comprise an L-form extremal mounting profile for gluing to a cover plate. 16. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said composite box structure comprises a rectangular outer box and a triangular inner box provided in said outer box. 17. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said composite box structure comprises a composite rib structure. 18. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said rib structure is glued to the box structure. 19. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said rib structure comprises an L-form extremal mounting profile for gluing to a cover plate. 20. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said composite structure comprises a plurality of boxed compartments glued together. 21. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said article support is a support for supporting a patterning device, the patterning device serving to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section. 22. A lithographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said article support is a substrate table for holding a substrate to be patterned by a patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate.