To resolve a problem that an installation area for a linear motor becomes large when a plurality of linear motors are arranged in a movement direction of a movable element.

In a linear motor, a stator 52c provided between adjacent movable elements 51a and 51b is formed in a unified manner, and the unified stator 52c has salient poles 50 on two surfaces opposed to the movable elements 51a and 51b respectively. Due to this configuration, a U-shaped groove side surface wall for fixing the stator can be reduced, and thereby, an installation area can be reduced compared with the case that a plurality of linear motors are arranged simply in parallel in a movement direction of a movable element.