Movable body apparatus, pattern forming apparatus and pattern forming method, device manufacturing method, manufacturing method of movable body apparatus, and movable body drive method

Abstract

A substrate stage and an empty-weight canceling mechanism that supports an empty weight of the substrate stage are made up of separate bodies. Accordingly, the size and weight of the substrate stage (a structure including the substrate stage) can be reduced, compared with the case where the substrate stage and the empty-weight canceling mechanism are integrally configured. Further, due to movement of an X coarse movement stage and a Y coarse movement stage by an X drive mechanism and a Y drive mechanism, the substrate stage is driven in an XY plane and also the empty-weight canceling mechanism that supports the empty weight of the substrate stage is driven. With this operation, the substrate stage can be driven without difficulty even when the substrate stage and the empty-weight canceling mechanism are configured of separate bodies.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A movable body apparatus, comprising:
 a base having a guiding surface;   a movable body that is movable with respect to the base; and   a support device that supports an empty weight of the movable body and is movable on the guiding surface in accordance with movement of the movable body, wherein   the movable body is supported by the support device so that the movable body can overhang from the guiding surface.   
     
     
         2 . The movable body apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a movable range of the movable body is larger than the guiding surface.   
     
     
         3 . The movable body apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the support device has a guiding section that faces the guiding surface in a noncontact manner, and   a projection area of the support device projected on the guiding surface is smaller than a projection area of the movable body projected on the guiding surface, in a support direction in which the support device supports the movable body.   
     
     
         4 . The movable body apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a fluid bearing is formed between the support device and the movable body and between the support device and the base.   
     
     
         5 . The movable body apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the support device has a driver that drives the movable body in a support direction.   
     
     
         6 . The movable body apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the movable body has at least three degrees of freedom relative to the support device.   
     
     
         7 . The movable body apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a measurement device that is provided between the movable body and the support device, and measures a position of the movable body relative to the support device.   
     
     
         8 . A pattern forming apparatus that forms a pattern on an object, the apparatus comprising:
 the movable body apparatus according to  claim 1 , in which the object is held on the movable body; and   a patterning device that forms a pattern on the object.   
     
     
         9 . The pattern forming apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the patterning device forms the pattern by irradiating the object with an energy beam.   
     
     
         10 . A pattern forming method, comprising:
 forming a pattern on an object using the pattern forming apparatus according to  claim 8 .   
     
     
         11 . A device manufacturing method using the pattern forming method according to  claim 10 . 
     
     
         12 . A movable body drive method, comprising:
 supporting an empty weight of a movable body with a support device that is movable; and   moving the support device on a guiding surface, wherein   the support device supports the movable body so that the movable body can overhang from the guiding surface, in order to move the movable body in a movement range larger than the guiding surface.   
     
     
         13 . A pattern forming method of forming a pattern on an object, the method comprising:
 driving a movable body that holds the object, using the movable body drive method according to  claim 12 .   
     
     
         14 . A device manufacturing method using the pattern forming method according to  claim 13 .