Patent ID: 7403264

Claim:
Lithographic projection apparatus comprising: a support structure configured to hold a patterning device to impart a selected pattern to a beam of radiation; a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; a projection system configured to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate to form an image; a predictive system configured to predict changes in projection system aberrations with time with respect to measured aberration values; a modelling system configured to determine an application-specific effect of said predicted projection system aberration changes on at least one parameter of the image for the selected pattern; a control system configured to generate a control signal specific to the selected pattern according to said predicted projection system aberration changes and their application-specific effect on the at least one parameter of the image; and an image adjusting system, responsive to the control signal, to compensate for the application-specific effect of said predicted projection system aberration changes on the image.