Patent ID: 7489389

Claim:
A stage device comprising: a supporting plate; a slider that holds an object while floating above the supporting plate; a frame-shaped member that is movable in at least three degrees-of-freedom directions within a two-dimensional plane including a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to the first axis while floating above the supporting plate, and that surrounds all sides of the slider so as to enclose the slider; a first drive mechanism that includes a first stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a first movable element that in cooperation with the first stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the first axis direction; and a second drive mechanism that includes a second stator disposed on the frame-shaped member, and a second movable element that in cooperation with the second stator generates a drive force that drives the slider in the second axis direction, wherein the first movable element and the second movable element are both located on the slider, and the slider is movable along the supporting plate within the frame-shaped member.