Sealing assembly, a lithographic projection apparatus, and a device manufacturing method

A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

• a substrate support for supporting at least one substrate;
• a patterning device for patterning a beam of radiation according to a desired pattern;
• and
• a projection device for projecting said patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of said substrate,
• wherein at least a first part of the apparatus and a second part of the apparatus are mechanically decoupled from each other by at least one slit, and
• a vacuum pumping device comprising at least one particle absorbing element, which substantially extends in a longitudinal slit direction for at least partially preventing particle transmission in a transversal slit direction.

A device manufacturing method comprising:

• providing at least one beam of radiation using a radiation system;
• providing at least one substrate in a vacuum environment, said substrate being at least partially covered by a layer of radiation sensitive material;
• using a patterning device in a vacuum environment to endow said beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section;
• and
• using a projection device in a second vacuum environment to project said patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the layer of radiation-sensitive material of said substrate,
• wherein at least a second part of an apparatus is mechanically decoupled from a first part of the apparatus by at least one slit, wherein said slit is sealed by a sealing assembly that comprises a vacuum pumping device comprising at least one particle absorbing element that extends substantially in a longitudinal slit direction for at least partially preventing particle transmission in a transversal slit direction.

A method for manufacturing a device on a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:

• patterning a beam of radiation in a first vacuum chamber;
• projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a layer of radiation-sensitive material on a substrate located in a second vacuum chamber, a longitudinal slit disposed between said first vacuum chamber and said second vacuum chamber;
• and
• absorbing particles in said longitudinal slit with at least one particle absorbing element that extends substantially in a longitudinal slit direction to substantially seal said first and second vacuum chambers from one another.