Patent ID: 8299671

Claim:
A processing apparatus comprising: a processing container made of a non-ferromagnetic material, for accommodating an object to be processed; a rotary floater disposed in the processing container, for supporting the object to be processed; at least one floating electromagnet assembly provided outside the processing container, for floating the rotary floater without contact with an inner wall of the processing container by causing magnetic attraction to the rotary floater vertically upwardly; at least one positioning electromagnet assembly provided outside the processing container, for controlling a horizontal direction position of the floated rotary floater by applying magnetic attraction thereto; at least one rotary electromagnet assembly disposed outside the processing container for rotating the floated rotary floater by applying magnetic attraction thereto; and a processing mechanism for performing a predetermined processing on the object to be processed supported by the rotary floater, wherein the rotary floater has a floater side floating ferromagnetic member having a predetermined width extending in a diametrical direction, wherein the floating electromagnet assembly includes: a pair of electromagnets provided outside the processing container and connected at rear portions thereof by a yoke; and a pair of electromagnet side floating ferromagnetic members disposed below front sides of the pair of electromagnets in the processing container so as to face the floater side floating ferromagnetic member via a predetermined gap therebetween, for applying magnetic attraction to the floater side floating ferromagnetic member, and wherein the pair of electromagnets, the yoke, the pair of electromagnet side floating ferromagnetic members and the floater side floating ferromagnetic members form a closed magnetic circuit.