or collects a wafer from the stage apparatus when the stage apparatus for the first or the second embodiment is employed in this manner for an exposure apparatus the provision of an accurate exposure apparatus is possible a semiconductor device manufacturing process that uses this exposure apparatus will now be descried fig6 is a flowchart showing all the processing performed in the manufacture of a semiconductor device at step s 1 circuit design the circuit of a semiconductor is designed and at step s 2 mask manufacture a mask is manufactured based on the circuit pattern that has been designed at step s 3 wafer manufacture a wafer is manufactured using a material such as silicon step s 4 a wafer process is called a pre process during which a lithographic technique is employed and using the mask a circuit is actually formed on the wafer by the exposure apparatus step s 5 assembly is called a post process during which the wafer obtained at step s 4 is employed to form a semiconductor chip this post process includes other processes such as an assembly process dicing and bonding and a packaging process chip enclosing at step s 6 inspection an inspection such as an operation confirmation test or a durability test is conducted for a semiconductor device obtained.