Antonius Johannus VAN DER NET
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`Amendments to the Claims
`
`This listing of claims will replace all prior versions, andlistings, of claims in the application.
`
`1 — 19 (Canceled)
`
`20.
`
`(New) A conditioning system comprising:
`
`a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir for storing at least part of a liquid
`
`conditioning fluid,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
`
`the lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
`
`or more optical elements, and
`
`wherein the liquid conditioning fluid is water.
`
`21.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 20, wherein the sub-atmospheric pressure
`
`conditioning fluid reservoir is connected to a vacuum pumpand/ora gasinlet.
`
`22.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 20, wherein the conditioning system further
`
`comprises:
`
`a pump upstream ofthe optical element, and
`
`a flow restrictor between the pump and the optical element.
`
`23.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 20, wherein:
`
`the sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir comprises a deformable separator,
`
`and
`
`the deformable separator is disposed between the liquid conditioning fluid and a gas.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
`
`
`
`Antonius Johannus VAN DER NET
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`24.
`
`(New) A conditioning system comprising
`
`a liquid conditioning fluid comprising water;
`
`a flow restrictor, and
`
`a pump,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
`
`the lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
`
`or more optical elements,
`
`wherein the pump is downstream of the optical element and
`
`wherein the flow restrictor is upstream of the optical element.
`
`25.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 24, wherein the conditioning system further
`
`comprises a conditioning fluid reservoir.
`
`26.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 24, wherein the conditioning system
`
`comprises a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir.
`
`27.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 26, wherein the sub-atmospheric pressure
`
`conditioning fluid reservoir is connected to a vacuum pumpand/ora gasinlet.
`
`28.
`
`(New) A conditioning system comprising:
`
`a conditioning fluid reservoir,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
`
`the lithographic apparatus,
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
`
`
`
`Antonius Johannus VAN DER NET
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
`
`or more optical elements, and
`
`wherein the conditioning fluid reservoir is disposed below the optical element such that the
`
`hydrostatic pressure difference between the optical element and the conditioning fluid reservoir
`
`reduces the pressure at the optical element to below atmospheric pressure.
`
`29.
`
`(New) A conditioning system comprising:
`
`first and second conditioning fluid reservoirs,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical elements of
`
`the lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
`
`or more optical elements, and
`
`wherein the first and second conditioning fluid reservoirs are in fluid connection with one
`
`anothervia a valve that is operable to control the level of conditioning fluid in the conditioning fluid
`
`reservoir that is in fluid communication with the optical element.
`
`30.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein the conditioning system further
`
`comprises a liquid conditioning fluid comprising water.
`
`31.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the one or more
`
`optical elementsis a reflector or a mirror.
`
`32.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein the conditioning system is
`
`configured to operate at between around 0.02 and 0.9 bara or around 0.3 bara.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
`
`
`
`Antonius Johannus VAN DER NET
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`33.
`
`(New) The conditioning system of claim 29, wherein:
`
`the conditioning system further comprises one or more vibration dampers, and
`
`the one or more vibration dampers are in the form of one or more hydraulic accumulators.
`
`34.
`
`(New)A lithographic apparatus comprising:
`
`a conditioning system configuredto include a liquid conditioning fluid, wherein the liquid
`
`conditioning fluid is water; and
`
`a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir configuredto store at least part of
`
`the liquid conditioning fluid,
`
`wherein the conditioning system being configured to condition one or moreoptical elements
`
`of the lithographic apparatus, and
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one
`
`or more optical elements.
`
`35.
`
`(New) A useof a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning system in a lithographic
`
`apparatus, comprising:
`
`conditioning one or more optical elements of the lithographic apparatus,
`
`using a sub-atmospheric pressure at the one or more optical elements,
`
`using water as a liquid conditioning fluid, and
`
`storing at least part of the liquid conditioning fluid in a sub-atmospheric pressure
`
`conditioning fluid reservoir.
`
`36.
`
`(New) A method of conditioning a system or sub-system ofa lithographic apparatus,
`
`the method comprising:
`
`providing a liquid conditioning fluid at sub-atmospheric pressure to the system or sub-
`
`system to be conditioned.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
`
`
`
`Antonius Johannus VAN DER NET
`Application No. To Be Assigned
`
`37.
`
`(New) The method of claim 36, wherein the system or sub-system comprises an
`
`optical element, a reflector or a mirror.
`
`38.
`
`(New) A lithographic method comprising:
`
`projecting a patterned beam ofradiation onto a substrate, the patterned beam being directed
`
`or patterned using at least one optical element conditioned using a conditioning system, the
`
`conditioning system comprising:
`
`a sub-atmospheric pressure conditioning fluid reservoir for storing at least part of a
`
`liquid conditioning fluid,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is for a lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to condition one or more optical
`
`elements of the lithographic apparatus,
`
`wherein the conditioning system is configured to have a sub-atmospheric pressure at
`
`the one or moreoptical elements, and
`
`wherein the liquid conditioning fluid is water.
`
`Atty. Dkt. No. 3857.2970001
`
`
