Patent ID: 7692881

Claim:
A structure for use in a projection exposure system of the type used for manufacturing semiconductors, said structure comprising: a projection lens assembly which includes a housing and a plurality of optical elements mounted in said housing for imaging a mask onto a semiconductor substrate, said housing having at least one structural element, a supporting structure for supporting said projection lens assembly and bearing the weight of said projection lens assembly, said weight of said projection lens assembly including at least the combined weight of said housing and said plurality of optical elements, and a plurality of supporting elements, each respective one of which forms part of a respective one of a plurality of connections through which said housing is connected to said supporting structure and through which said weight of said projection lens is transferred to said supporting structure in such a way that supporting forces generated by said supporting structure as a result of said transfer of said weight of said projection lens assembly are taken up by a pressure force and a shear force which act on at least one of said supporting elements.