A planar motor with electro-dynamic propulsion and levitation under 6 DoF control

An electronically commutated planar motor based on Lorentz forces is described as a potential drive in the highly demanding applications of the semiconductor industry. An extended Halbach array forms the basis of the design. Four three-phase forcers are capable of delivering the required forces to control the planar motor over the six degrees of freedom. The position information required for the electronic commutation is obtained by a number of Hall sensor arrays. The positive results of the prototype testing encourage further use in industrial applications under vacuum conditions.