Patent ID: 7492440

Claim:
A lithographic apparatus comprising: an illumination system configured to condition a radiation beam; a pattern support configured to support a patterning device, the patterning device being configured to impart the radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam; a substrate support constructed to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate; and an actuator assembly configured to move one of said supports with respect to a base structure, the actuator assembly comprising: an actuator assembly frame; a flexible coupling assembly configured to flexibly couple said actuator assembly frame to said one support, and a plurality of actuators that are each configured to couple said actuator assembly frame to said base structure and that are each configured to controllably exert a force on the actuator assembly frame, the plurality of actuators being configured to move said one support in three degrees of freedom in a plane and at least one other degree of freedom, wherein the plurality of actuators are connected to the actuator assembly frame such that movement of said support is effected by the plurality of actuators in the three degrees of freedom in a plane and the at least one other degree of freedom through the flexible coupling assembly.