A cantilever linear motion reference device employing two-layer air suspension. By means of a two-layer force sealed air suspension structure, the invention realizes two-dimensional air suspension support and motion guiding and improves the rotational stiffness per unit for an air suspension working surface. By combining accurate driving and feedback control, the invention achieves high speed, high acceleration, high frequency motion, and enables construction of a small-volume, long cantilever, high torque load two-dimensional motion reference device.

A throttle unit is equipped with a grooved block including at least one minute groove formed on a plane surface, and an opposite block having a plane surface which is opposite to the minute groove. The grooved block and the opposite block are detachably joined so as to be opposite to each other. A throttle fluid path is formed by the minute groove and the plane surface of the opposite block. At least one surface of each of the minute groove is constituted by a curved surface or an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the plane surface of the grooved block.

A cantilever linear motion reference device employing two-layer air suspension. By means of a two-layer force sealed air suspension structure, the invention realizes two-dimensional air suspension support and motion guiding and improves the rotational stiffness per unit for an air suspension working surface. By combining accurate driving and feedback control, the invention achieves high speed, high acceleration, high frequency motion, and enables construction of a small-volume, long cantilever, high torque load two-dimensional motion reference device.

An air turbine starter that includes a turbine member for rotatably extracting mechanical power from a flow of fluid, where the turbine member is coupled to a drive shaft to provide a rotational output. The air turbine starter further includes a foil-air bearing assembly and a thrust bearing that rotatably support the drive shaft.

A substrate positioning device for radially positioning a substrate including a first mounting frame, and a plurality of centering devices coupled to the first mounting frame and spaced apart from one another. Each of the plurality of centering devices including a mount, a flexure element coupled to the mount and having a radial edge, and an adjustment member coupled to the mount. The adjustment member is adjusting between a retracted state and an extended state for pivoting the flexure element between a first position and a second position with respect to the mount. Each centering device is separately actuatable to move the flexure element of a respective centering device with respect to an edge of the substrate thereby radially positioning the substrate with respect to the first mounting frame.

A substrate holder for use with an interferometer comprises a first and second support each comprising a bearing land and a bearing base arranged to form a bearing pocket and a gas inlet fluidly coupled to the bearing pocket. The first support and the second support are positioned relative to one another such that the first bearing pocket is opposed to the second bearing pocket thereby forming a measurement cavity between the first support and the second support. At least one of the first support and the second support comprises reference optics through which one or more interferometric or optical measurements can be taken. Gas supplied to the first bearing pocket and gas supplied to the second bearing pocket form an air bearing in the measurement cavity for supporting a substrate in the measurement cavity without contact between the substrate, the first support, and the second support.

A rotary table apparatus includes: a table part having a placement surface; a support part having a guide surface facing an opposing surface which is on an opposite side of the placement surface of the table part; an air film forming part that forms an air film by supplying compressed air between the guide surface and the opposing surface; a negative pressure generating part that sucks air between the guide surface and the opposing surface; a discharge part formed with a discharge port; and an opening adjusting part that adjust the size of an opening area of the discharge port in accordance with the size of a compressed air pressure corresponding to a load applied to the table part.

An air-floating thin film bonding apparatus and its air-floating roller is provided. The apparatus is composed of an air-floating rollers, which can blow out airflow at a specific angle to be applied to the base film with three-dimensional obstacles. The positive pressure provided by the airflow can be utilized to fill the gap space caused by the three-dimensional obstacles. Therefore, the base film can bond to the bonding film tightly to overcome the wrinkles and defects caused by the three-dimensional obstacle and the problem of unflatness of the film-bonding can be solved.

An air turbine starter that includes a turbine member for rotatably extracting mechanical power from a flow of fluid, where the turbine member is coupled to a drive shaft to provide a rotational output. The air turbine starter further includes a foil-air bearing assembly and a thrust bearing that rotatably support the drive shaft.

An air-floating thin film bonding apparatus and its air-floating roller is provided. The apparatus is composed of an air-floating rollers, which can blow out airflow at a specific angle to be applied to the base film with three-dimensional obstacles. The positive pressure provided by the airflow can be utilized to fill the gap space caused by the three-dimensional obstacles. Therefore, the base film can bond to the bonding film tightly to overcome the wrinkles and defects caused by the three-dimensional obstacle and the problem of unflatness of the film-bonding can be solved.