To enable transfer and exchanging wafers when a transfer means gas no margin for insertion, and prevent the transfer means from hindering the driving of a wafer stage.

A rotation moving means wherein a wafer awaiting position 4 and the position of a wafer stage 5 are both ends is installed, On both ends of the rotation moving means, a pair of wafer holding means are installed which perform rotation driving in the horizontal plane, around the center position of the rotation moving means as an axis, and vertical movement by a driving means, and further suck and hold wafer 21 by closing operation, from the lower surface in the position outside a pellicle frame except the position where a sucking and holding means on the wafer stage is arranged. The wafer holding means are close-operated, and made to hold the wafer 21 on the wafer waiting position 4 and the wafer stage 5. By the driving means, the wafer is transferred, and the respective wafer positions are exchanged. After the exchange, the water holding means are open-operated, and the wafer 21 is relieved. The wafer holding means are made to retreat to positions where the driving of the wafer stage is not hindered.