Movable body drive method and movable body drive system, pattern formation method and apparatus, exposure method and apparatus, and device manufacturing method for continuous position measurement of moveable body before and after switching between sensor heads

Abstract

A controller uses two Z heads, which are positioned above a reflection surface installed on the ±X ends of the upper surface of a table, to measure the height and tilt of the table. According to the XY position of the table, the Z heads to be used are switched from ZsR and ZsL to ZsR′ and ZsL. On the switching of the heads, the controller applies a coordinate linkage method to set an initial value of the Z heads which are to be newly used. Accordingly, although the Z heads to be used are sequentially switched according to the XY position of the table, measurement results of the height and the tilt of the table are stored before and after the switching, and it becomes possible to drive the table with high precision.

1 . A movable body drive method in which a movable body is driven substantially along a two-dimensional plane, the method comprising:
 detecting a position of the movable body in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane with a first sensor of a plurality of sensors placed within an operating area of the movable body, and controlling at least one of the position in the perpendicular direction and a tilt with respect to the two-dimensional plane of the movable body, and also   obtaining correction information to correct the detection results by a second sensor different from the first sensor of the plurality of sensors, using tilt information of the movable body with respect to the two-dimensional plane obtained from detection results by the first sensor, when starting a control using detection results by the second sensor according to a movement in the two-dimensional plane of the movable body.   
     
     
         2 . A movable body drive method to drive a movable body at least in a two-dimensional plane, wherein
 positional information of the movable body in a direction perpendicular to the two-dimensional plane is detected by at least one of a plurality of sensors having detection points at different positions within the two-dimensional plane, and   on detecting positional information of the movable body with a sensor different from the one sensor, detection information of the one sensor and tilt information of the movable body with respect to the two-dimensional plane are used, according to a movement of the movable body.