Patent ID: 8624445

Claim:
A stage apparatus comprising: a movable table to hold a sample; a levitation unit to operate the movable table at least in a vertical direction, including a levitation unit movable element and a levitation unit stator; and a linear motor to operate the movable table in a first horizontal direction in a horizontal plane, including a linear motor movable element arranged inside the movable table and a linear motor stator arranged inside the movable table, wherein a motor placement space is provided in an internal portion of the movable table, wherein the movable table includes a horizontal divider extending in a horizontal direction through a center of gravity of the movable table and a vertical divider extending in the vertical direction through the center of gravity of the movable table, wherein the motor placement space in the movable table is divided into four spaces by the horizontal divider and the vertical divider, and wherein linear motors each including the linear motor movable element and the linear motor stator are arranged in the respective four spaces.