| 摘要 |
In an immersion lithographic apparatus, bubble formation in immersion liquid is reduced or prevented by reducing a gap size or area on a substrate table. The gap size is reduced using an edge member (BR) which may be, for example, a ring known as a BES (Bubble Extraction System) ring. Information regarding the shape and/or cross-sectional dimension (e.g., diameter) of the substrate (W), or information regarding the size of the gap (G), is transmitted to a controller that controls the edge member in order for the edge member, for example, to be reduced to an appropriate size to reduce the gap as much as possible, desirably without compressing the edge of the substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the gap may be reduced by moving the substrate and/or edge member adjacent the edge of a surface of the substrate table. |
