Patent ID: 7808612

Claim:
A method of loading a peripheral exposure exclusion mask into a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising: delivering a carrier containing the mask into the lithographic apparatus; removing the mask from the carrier; positioning the mask relative to a substrate table of the lithographic apparatus so that the mask will prevent a peripheral region of a substrate from being exposed during subsequent lithographic patterning of the substrate; holding a cover of the carrier and the mask with one or more actuators located in a suspension plate disposed above the substrate table, removing a base of the carrier with a mask loader; extending a plurality of pins from the substrate table so that the pins contact the carrier cover; lowering the pins so that the carrier cover and the mask are lowered, until the mask comes into contact with a substrate table actuator; securing the mask to the substrate table actuator; raising the carrier cover to the suspension plate with the plurality of pins; and removing the carrier cover.