Patent ID: 8144305

Claim:
A lithographic apparatus, comprising: a projection system configured to transfer a pattern from a patterning device onto a substrate; a liquid supply system configured to provide liquid to a space between the projection system and the substrate; a gas knife arranged to at least partly surround the space; and a liquid removal device positioned adjacent to and along a fraction of the gas knife, wherein the gas knife is shaped such that, on movement of the substrate in any direction in the plane of the substrate and which passes through an optical axis of the apparatus, in an arc of at least 36°, liquid on the substrate in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the substrate and which contains the direction will, by combined effect of the gas knife and further movement of the substrate in the direction, be transported along the gas knife to the liquid removal device, the gas knife comprises a plurality of segments, each segment being elongate and having an inlet for gas, and the liquid removal device is situated at a region at which neighboring segments join such that a distance, from the optical axis, of the furthest outward point of an outer edge of an outlet of the liquid removal device is greater than or equal to a distance, from the optical axis, of the nearest inward point of an inner edge of the gas knife segment adjacent the outlet of the liquid removal device and that a distance, from the optical axis, of the innermost point of an inner edge of the outlet of the liquid removal device is less than or equal to a distance, from the optical axis, of the furthest outward point of an outer edge of the gas knife segment adjacent the outlet of the liquid removal device.