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Nikon Corporation

Shinobu Tokushima

Yukiharu Okubo

Toshimasa Shimoda

W Thomas Novak

Douglas C Watson

Shinji Shinohara

Takuma Tsuda

In order to provide a static pressure air bearing having two axes usable in a vacuum environment in which the connection of the supporting air exhaust pipe does not adversely affect the motion of the bearing mechanism, air exhaust pipes are connected only with the fixed part(s) of the lower axis. Air exhaust from the upper axis is conducted through inner air exhaust piping (passages) formed within the fixed parts of the upper and lower axes, so that the exhaust pipes need not be connected with the movable parts.

Method of making a static pressure air bearing

Static pressure air bearing

A static air-bearing provides a gas layer between two relatively movable parts (fixed part and movable part) and a predetermined clearance between the two parts, to a stage apparatus, and to an optical apparatus, and provides a static air-bearing, a stage apparatus, and an optical apparatus each of which can limit its size and can make pipe arrangement easy. The static air-bearing comprising a fixed part,and a movable part,movably disposed along the fixed part,and maintaining a predetermined clearance between the fixed part,and the movable part,by an air layer between the fixed part,and the movable part,the movable part,having a bearing pad,that blows air into the air layer between the fixed part,and the movable part,and an air exhaust groove,that exhausts the air blown out of the bearing pad,and the fixed part,having an air exhaust port,that is disposed at a position facing the air exhaust groove

Static air-bearing and stage apparatus using the bearing and optical apparatus using the stage apparatus

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Tokyo, Japan

Shinobu Tokushima