Driving motors attached to a stage that are magnetically coupled through a chamber

A stage assembly for moving an object, the stage assembly comprising:

• a first motor including a first component and a second component and generating a force that causes relative movement between the first component and the second component, wherein one of the components includes a pair of spaced apart, conductor arrays, each conductor array including at least one conductor, and the other component includes at least one magnet that is positioned between the conductor arrays, the at least one magnet cooperating with the conductor arrays to generate the force;
• a stage member connected to the second component, the stage member retaining the object;
• and
• a chamber enclosing the second component and the stage member, the chamber including a first wall interposed between at least a portion of the first component and a portion of the second component of the first motor.

A stage assembly for moving an object, the stage assembly comprising:

• a first motor including a first component and a second component and generating a force that causes relative movement between the first component and the second component, one of the components includes at least one magnet and the other component includes at least one conductor that cooperates with at least one magnet to generate the force by utilizing a Lorentz Force in the direction along the moving of the object;
• a stage member connected to the second component, the stage member retaining the object;
• and
• a chamber enclosing the second component and the stage member, the chamber including a first wall interposed between at least a portion of the first component and a portion of the second component of the first motor.

A motor combination for moving an object, the motor combination comprising:

• a first motor including a first component and a second component and generating a first force that causes relative movement between the first component and the second component, one of the components includes at least one magnet and the other component includes at least one conductor that cooperates with at least one magnet to generate the first force by utilizing a Lorentz Force in the direction along the moving of the object;
• a second motor including a first component and a second component and generating a second force that causes relative movement between the first component and the second component, one of the components includes at least one magnet and the other component includes at least one conductor that cooperates with at least one magnet to generate the second force by utilizing a Lorentz Force in a direction along the moving of the object;
• and
• a chamber including a first wall interposed between at least a portion of the first component and a portion of the second component of the first motor and a second wall interposed between at least a portion of the first component and a portion of the second component of the second motor.

A method for enclosing and moving an object retained by a stage member, the method comprising the steps of:

• encircling the object and the stage member with a chamber,
• magnetically coupling a first motor through the chamber, the first motor including a first component positioned outside of the chamber and a second component positioned within the chamber, the second component being attached to the stage member, and
• generating relative movement between the first component and the second component, and wherein
• one of the components includes at least one magnet and the other component includes at least one conductor that cooperates with at least one magnet to generate a force by utilizing a Lorentz Force in the direction along the relative movement.

A method for making a stage assembly for moving an object, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a motor including a first component and a second component and generating a force that causes relative movement between the first component and the second component, one of the components includes at least one magnet and the other component includes at least one conductor that cooperates with at least one magnet to generate the force by utilizing a Lorentz Force;
• connecting a stage member to the second component, the stage member retaining the object;
• and
• enclosing the second component and the stage member by a chamber, the chamber including a first wall interposed between at least a portion of the first component and a portion of the second component of the motor;
• wherein the relative movement of the first motor includes moving the moving component substantially parallel to the first wall of the chamber.