Patent ID: 6943464

Claim:
A positioning device for positioning an object, the positioning device comprising: a planar motor comprising a first part and a second part and configured to produce a force between the first part and the second part over a long range of movement in at least one direction, the second part being connected to a frame of the positioning device; and a Lorentz actuator configured to produce a force between the first part of the planar motor and the object over a short range of movement in at least one direction, the Lorentz actuator comprising: a main magnet system attached to one part that is the first part of the planar motor or the object; a subsidiary magnet system attached to the one part; and an electrically conductive element attached to the other of the first part of the planar motor and the object, wherein the main magnet system and the subsidiary magnet system are arranged in a Halbach configuration; the subsidiary magnet system comprises two subsidiary magnets; the main magnet system comprises a main magnet, at least a part of which is located between the two subsidiary magnets; the magnetic polarizations of the subsidiary magnets being oriented substantially mutually anti-parallel and substantially perpendicular to the magnetic polarization of the main magnet.