MOVABLE SUPPORT IN VACUUM CHAMBER AND APPLICATION OF MOVABLE SUPPORT TO LITHOGRAPHY PROJECTION APPARATUS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To relax or avoid limitations for decreasing or excluding sources that degrade the vacuum level in moving a beam and in moving and aligning an object table by sealing openings in walls, wherein the seals are movable with a beam (arm). SOLUTION: Controllable drives are provided separately on two ends of a tube (arm) 31 to control its rotation. As a result, each slot 11a needs a length that is sufficient to be able to control desired Y-control and rotation control. Each slot 11a is sealed by a slider 32, which is a slender plate having a central penetrating hole through which the tube 31, is protruded. The slider 32 is longer than the slot 11a by more than two times the moving range of the Y-direction long-stroke movement plus width required for bearing and vacuum sealing, so that the slot is sealed throughout the range of long-stroke movement.