PURPOSE: To provide a linear motor, high in responding speed and short in a start-up time to a constant speed area as well as a positioning time from the constant speed area.

CONSTITUTION: Permanent magnets 2, constituting a magnetic field, are provided with a covering member 6 consisting of a nonmagnetic conductive material on the surface thereof in a linear motor constituted of the permanent magnets 2, secured to at least one side of the inner surface of opposing yokes and arranged so that different poles appear alternately in the lengthwise direction thereof to constitute the magnetic field, an armature, provided in a magnetic gap formed on the surface of the permanent magnets 2 and consisting of a flat coil 5, a stator, defined between either one of field magnets and the armature, and a movable piece, defined from the other one between the field magnet and the armature, while the stator and the movable piece are constituted so as to be movable relatively with respect to the arranging direction of the permanent magnets 2.