A carrier for the masks used in Electron Projection Lithography, or other workpieces used in nanotechnology fields, comprises a rectangular frame having a set of four electrostatic chucks in the top surface for holding the mask above a central aperture that has an electron absorber on the bottom for suppressing backscattering; the frame being supported by a bottom carrier that grips the frame with a set of flexures flexible in the z-direction, stiff in an azimuthal direction and flexible in a radial direction.