Abstract: The invention relates to a holding and rotating apparatus for flat objects which define an object plane, having a gripper device that is rotatable about a rotation axis, said gripper device having a plurality of edge grippers and being designed to fix the object in a defined position in all spatial directions, the object plane being oriented perpendicularly to the rotation axis in said position, and having a rotary drive coupled to the gripper device, said rotary drive being designed to set the gripper device with the object in rotation about the rotation axis. The invention is characterized by a device for distance positioning, said device being designed to apply a supporting force, directed perpendicularly to the object plane, to the object in a contactless manner.

Abstract: A holding/turning device for touch-sensitive flat objects, in particular wafers, with a distance positioning device which is arranged for holding the object perpendicular to the object plane at a defined distance, a lateral positioning device, arranged for positioning the object in the object plane and for rotating together with the object about a rotational axis perpendicular to the object plane, and with a rotational drive, coupled with the lateral positioning device, providing a driving force for rotating the object about the rotational axis, wherein the driving force can be applied to the object by the lateral positioning device. The distance positioning device is adapted for holding the object without involving contact, and is decoupled from the rotational drive in such a way that the distance positioning device does not rotate together with the object.