Patent ID: 7259955

Claim:
An electrostatic holding device in which an electrode group including a plurality of electrodes covered with an insulating material is used as a holding surface, and predetermined voltage is applied to the electrode group to hold a holding object by an electrostatic force with a floating non-contact state, comprising: an internal polarization eliminating device configured to eliminate an internal polarization generating in the insulating material by switching a polarity of the voltage to be applied to the electrode group; a distance detecting device configured to detect a distance between the electrode group and the holding object; and a control device configured to control the applied voltage to the electrode group based on distance information detected by the distance detecting device, such that the holding object is held in a direction away from the electrode group while floating in a state that an entire surface of the holding object located in the electrode group side separates from the electrode group at a predetermined distance without having contact with the electrode group.