Article positioning apparatus and exposing apparatus having the article positioning apparatus

A positioning device for positioning an article composed of an electric conductive material levitated/held over a predetermined base without contact with said article, said device comprising:

• current generating sections to generate a current in said article without contact with said article;
• and
• magnetic field generating sections to generate a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to said current generated by said current generating sections,
• wherein a driving force composed of Lorentz force is generated in the direction perpendicular to said current and said magnetic field, whereby said article is positioned.

The substrate positioning apparatus for positioning a plate-shaped article made of an electric conductive material over a predetermined base, said apparatus comprising:

• a plate-shaped holding body having a through hole for containing a plate-shaped substrate at the center thereof;
• levitating units to levitate said plate-shaped substrate and said plate-shaped holding body over said base;
• a driving unit including:
• current generating sections to induce a current in said plate-shaped substrate and said plate-shaped holding body, and
• magnetic field generating sections to generate a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to said current induced by said current generating sections,
• said driving unit to generate a driving force composed of Lorentz force to said plate-shaped substrate and said plate-shaped holding body in the direction perpendicular to said current and said magnetic field and for moving said plate-shaped substrate and said plate-shaped holding body along a front surface of said base by said generated driving force;
• first displacement measuring units to measure a displacement of said plate-shaped holding body;
• and
• second displacement measuring units to measure the displacement of said plate-shaped substrate to said plate-shaped holding body,
• wherein said plate-shaped holding body and said plate-shaped substrate are moved through said driving unit in accordance with a result measured by said first and second displacement measuring units, whereby said plate-shaped substrate is positioned without contact therewith.

An substrate positioning apparatus for positioning a plate-shaped substrate composed of an electric conductive material over a predetermined base, said apparatus comprising:

• levitating units to levitate said plate-shaped substrate over said base;
• a driving unit including:
• current generating sections to induce a current in said plate-shaped substrate, and
• magnetic field generating sections to generate a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to said current induced by said current generating sections,
• said driving unit generating a driving force composed of Lorentz force to said plate-shaped substrate in the direction perpendicular to said current and said magnetic field and for moving said plate-shaped substrate along the front surface of said base by said generated driving force;
• and
• measuring units to measure a relative position of said plate-shaped substrate to said base,
• wherein said plate-shaped substrate is positioned through said driving unit in accordance with the position of said plate-shaped substrate measured by said measuring units without contact therewith.

An apparatus for positioning a plate-shaped article with respect to a base having a guide surface, comprising:

• a levitation device which levitate the plate-shaped article over said base;
• a driving device which gives a driving force to the plate-shaped article in a direction substantially parallel with said guide surface, said driving device having a magnetic field generating unit and said driving force being generated by utilizing the magnetic field generated by said magnetic field generating unit;
• a detecting unit which detects information relating to a position of the plate-shaped article which is levitated over said base;
• and
• a control unit connected to said driving device and said detecting units, said control unit controlling said driving device based on the detection result of said detecting units.

An apparatus for positioning a plate-shaped article with respect to a base having a guide surface, comprising:

• a plate-shaped holding body having a holding section which holds the plate-shaped article;
• a levitation device which levitates the plate-shaped article and the plate-shaped holding body over said base;
• a driving unit which gives a driving force to the plate-shaped article and said plate-shaped holding body in a direction substantially parallel with said guide surface, and has a magnetic field generating unit, said driving force being generated by using magnetic field generated by said magnetic generating unit;
• a first detection unit which detects first information relating to a position of said plate-shaped holding body which is levitated over said base;
• a second detection unit which detects second information relating to a position of the plate-shaped article with respect to said plate-shaped holding body;
• a control unit connected to said driving unit, said first detection unit and said second detection unit, which control said driving unit based on the detection results of said first and second detection units.