Abstract: A device is provided for carrying a thin plate-like substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and for controlling the position of the wafer by floating it with an inert gas of low impurity concentration. A transferring unit and a control unit are both respectively provided with gas nozzles for floating a wafer and with a gas exhausting and circulating system. A plurality of transferring and control units are sealingly interconnected. Each control unit has a vacuum suction hole at its control center, and is provided with nozzles for controlling the wafer in the radial and circumferential directions, respectively, and with nozzles for stopping the wafer and for transporting the wafer to the next unit. On the bottom of a control space defined by each control unit, grooves which extend from the vacuum suction hole are formed for improving the positional accuracy of stopping the wafer.

Abstract: A device for carrying a thin plate-like substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and controlling its position by floating it with an inert gas of low impurity concentration. A transferring unit and a controlling unit are respectively provided with gas nozzles for floating a thin plate-like substrate and with a gas exhausting and circulating system, and a plurality of them are in combination with each other in a sealing state. The controlling unit, further, has a vacuum suction hole at its controlling center, and is provided with nozzles for controlling the thin plate-like substrate in its radial and circumferential direction respectively and with nozzles for stopping the thin plate-like substrate or sending out it to the next unit too.