Patent ID: 7271907

Claim:
A lithographic apparatus configured to receive an object having at least one mark that includes a plurality of structures arranged in rows and columns, the lithographic apparatus including an alignment arrangement comprising a light source, optics and a detector, the light source being arranged for producing a light beam, the optics being arranged for receiving the light beam, and the detector being arranged to produce an alignment signal, the lithographic apparatus comprising: an alignment beam generator that includes the optics and produces an alignment beam having an alignment beam spot with a first alignment beam spot portion extending in a first direction and a second alignment beam spot portion extending in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction; a projection system that directs the alignment beam onto the at least one mark on the abject; beam directing optics that receive alignment radiation back from the at least one mark and direct the alignment radiation to the detector; an actuator that is adapted to move the object relative to the alignment beam; a processor that is connected to the actuator and the detector, and arranged to: control the actuator during use so that the columns of structures of the at least one mark and the rows of structures of the at least one mark, respectively, receive the first alignment beam spot portion and the second alignment beam spot portion, respectively; receive the alignment signal from the detector, and calculate a two-dimensional position of the at least one mark based on the alignment signal.