Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Kotarao Akutsu

Eiji Osanai

A stage apparatus and method of mounting a substrate on a substrate holding surface of a substrate chuck in which a substrate is mounted in a Z-axis direction. The stage apparatus includes a movable stage, which is movable on an X-Y plane, a substrate stage mounted on the movable stage to be movable at least in a Z-axis direction, a substrate chuck which is arranged on the substrate stage for holding a substrate and a substrate support device, which is brought into contact with the substrate on the chuck and receives the substrate when the substrate stage moves in the Z-axis direction. The substrate support device includes a substrate supporting number arranged on the movable stage and the substrate stage has an opening through which the substrate supporting member can pass. A contact surface of the substrate chuck is located above a substrate contact surface of the substrate supporting member upon movement of the substrate stage. The substrate stage is lowered in the Z-axis direction and the substrate held by the substrate chuck is transferred from the substrate chuck onto the substrate supporting member in the process of moving the substrate stage.

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Soka, Japan

Kotarao Akutsu