JPS6239138A - Xy stage - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effect a positioning of ultra high accuracy, by disposing magnetic bodies on opposite sides of XY movable guides and exciting coils for producing magnetic fields on a stage for balancing repelling forces at a prescribed position each other so that the stage is restricted at a predetermined position. CONSTITUTION:XY movable guide 2, 3 have magnetic bodies 51a, 51b disposed on their opposite sides and a stage 4 has exciting coils 52a, 52b for producing magnetic fields which confront the magnetic body 51a, 51b, respectively. When the guides 2, 3 are restrained and electric current is supplied to the respective coils 52a, 52b to produce magnetic fields for positioning the stage 4, the magnetic bodies 51a, 51a, and 51b, 51b on the opposite sides of the guides 2, 3 which correspond to the respective coils 52a, 52b effect magnetic attraction or repelling each other. As a result, the repelling force of the attracting force which is balanced at the opposite sides of the guide 2, 3 acts as a restricting force for keeping the stage 4 at a predetermined position with respect to the guides 2, 3 so that the air floating stage 4 becomes stationary perfectly.

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 〈産業上の利用分野〉 この発明は精密工作機、精密測定機、半導体製造装置等
に適用し、超精密な位置決めを行うＸＹステージに関す
る。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an XY stage that is applied to precision machine tools, precision measuring machines, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, etc. and performs ultra-precise positioning.

〈発明の概要〉 この発明は、ＸＹ可動ガイドの交叉部に空気軸受を介し
てステージを支持した静圧浮上ＸＹステージにおいて、
ＸＹ可動ガイドの側面には磁性体、ステージには該磁性
体に対向して磁界を発生する励磁コイルを配備してなり
、可動ガイド静止時において、ステージの空気浮上によ
る微動を阻止したものである。<Summary of the Invention> The present invention provides a hydrostatic floating XY stage in which the stage is supported via an air bearing at the intersection of an XY movable guide.
The side of the XY movable guide is equipped with a magnetic material, and the stage is equipped with an excitation coil that generates a magnetic field in opposition to the magnetic material, thereby preventing slight movement due to air levitation of the stage when the movable guide is stationary. .

〈発明の背景〉 従来この種ｘｙステージは、第５図に示す如く、定盤６
上に配備したＸＹ可可動ガイマフ８の交叉部に空気軸受
９１を介してステージ９を支持し、両可動ガイド７．８
をリニアモータ等の往復駆動装置にて移行させ、交叉部
のステージ９を目標位置に移行するようになっている。<Background of the Invention> Conventionally, this type of xy stage has a surface plate 6 as shown in FIG.
The stage 9 is supported via an air bearing 91 at the intersection of the XY movable guy muff 8 arranged above, and both movable guides 7.8
is moved by a reciprocating drive device such as a linear motor, and the stage 9 at the intersection is moved to the target position.

ところが、前記Ｘ可動ガイド７とＸ空気軸受９１、Ｙ可
動ガイド８とＹ空気軸受９１は、それぞれ軸受隙間にミ
クロン単位の空気膜を介在しており、ステージ９はＸＹ
可可動ガイマフ８に非接触状態にて支持、案内される。However, the X moving guide 7 and the
It is supported and guided by the movable guy muff 8 in a non-contact manner.

斯る従来装置において、ステージ９の位置決めに際しＸ
Ｙ可可動ガイマフ８を静止したとき、ＸＹ空気軸受９１
においで対向する空気膜の平衡位置が±０．０１μｍ揺
れを生じる。つまり微動する。ところが、ステージは、
外部の拘束力がな（且つ摩擦要素のない非接触状態のた
め、第７図の測定データに示す如く、同様に１０．０１
８ｍ微動を生じ、従って、０，０１μｍ以下の高精度な
位置決めを行うとき、空気膜による揺れが外乱として働
き、問題となる。In such a conventional device, when positioning the stage 9,
When the Y movable guy muff 8 is stationary, the XY air bearing 91
The equilibrium position of the air films facing each other due to smell oscillates by ±0.01 μm. In other words, it trembles slightly. However, the stage
As there is no external restraining force (and there is no friction element in the non-contact state, the measurement data in Fig. 7 shows that 10.01
A micro-movement of 8 m occurs, and therefore, when performing highly accurate positioning of 0.01 μm or less, the vibration caused by the air film acts as a disturbance, which poses a problem.

〈発明の目的〉 この発明は、ＸＹ可動ガイドとステージとの間に拘束力
を与えることにより、上記の問題を完全に解消し、超精
密な位置決めを実現し得る新規なＸＹステージを提供す
ることを目的とする。<Purpose of the Invention> The present invention provides a new XY stage that completely eliminates the above problems and realizes ultra-precise positioning by applying a binding force between the XY movable guide and the stage. With the goal.

〈発明の構成および効果〉 上記の目的を達成するため、この発明では、ＸＹ可動ガ
イドの交叉部に空気軸受を介してステージを支持したＸ
Ｙステージにおいて、ＸＹ可動ガイドには両側面に磁性
体、ステージには該磁性体に対向して磁界を発生する励
磁コイルを配備して成る。上記の構成によると、この発
明では、ステージの位置決めに際しＸＹ可動ガイドを静
止し、各コイルに電流を流して磁界を発生させることに
より、各コイルと対応する可動ガイド両側面の磁性体と
が互いに反発し、所定位置にて反発力がつり合う。この
つり合った反発力は可動ガイドに対しステージを一定位
置に留める拘束力として作用し、これにより空気軸受の
空気膜による微動が拘束され、ステージはガイドに対し
定位置を保ち、超精密な位置決めを実現する効果を奏す
る。<Structure and Effects of the Invention> In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an
In the Y stage, the XY movable guide is provided with a magnetic material on both sides, and the stage is provided with an excitation coil that generates a magnetic field in opposition to the magnetic material. According to the above configuration, in this invention, when positioning the stage, the XY movable guide is kept stationary, and a current is passed through each coil to generate a magnetic field, so that each coil and the magnetic bodies on both sides of the corresponding movable guide are mutually connected to each other. It rebounds, and the repulsive forces balance out at a predetermined position. This balanced repulsive force acts as a restraining force on the movable guide to keep the stage in a fixed position. This restrains the slight movement caused by the air film of the air bearing, and the stage remains in a fixed position with respect to the guide, allowing ultra-precise positioning. It has the effect of realizing.

〈実施例の説明〉 図面は本発明に係る静圧浮上型ｘｙステージを示す。該
ＸＹステージは、公知の如く、定盤１上に配備したＸＹ
可動ガイド２，３の交叉部に空気軸受４１を介してステ
ージ４を支持し、Ｘ′Ｙ可動ガイド２，３をリニアモー
タ等の往復駆動装置２１．３１にて移行させ、交叉部の
ステージ４を目標位置に移行するようになっている。本
発明は上記ＸＹ可動ガイド２．３とステージ４との間に
、空気浮上のステージ４を完全制止させる磁気拘束手段
５ａ、５ｂを設けてなり、該拘束手段５ａ、５ｂは、Ｘ
Ｙ可動ガイド２．３には両側面に磁性体５１ａ、５１ｂ
、ステージ４には、その磁性体５１ａ、５１ｂにそれぞ
れ対向し且つ磁界を発生する励磁コイル５２ａ、５２ｂ
を配備したものである。前記磁性体ｓｔａ、５１ｂは、
ＸＹ可動ガイド２，３の両側面に対し、軸方向に沿って
永久磁石板、或いは磁気テープの貼付け、または励磁し
た磁性体のコーティング等により構成される。<Description of Embodiments> The drawings show a hydrostatic levitation type xy stage according to the present invention. As is well known, the XY stage is an XY stage arranged on a surface plate 1.
A stage 4 is supported at the intersection of the movable guides 2 and 3 via an air bearing 41, and the X'Y movable guides 2 and 3 are moved by a reciprocating drive device 21, 31 such as a linear motor, and the stage 4 at the intersection is moved. is designed to move to the target position. The present invention is provided with magnetic restraining means 5a, 5b between the XY movable guide 2.3 and the stage 4 to completely restrain the stage 4 in air levitation, and the restraining means 5a, 5b are
The Y movable guide 2.3 has magnetic bodies 51a and 51b on both sides.
, the stage 4 includes excitation coils 52a and 52b that respectively face the magnetic bodies 51a and 51b and generate a magnetic field.
It is equipped with The magnetic body sta, 51b is
It is constructed by pasting permanent magnet plates or magnetic tapes along the axial direction on both sides of the XY movable guides 2 and 3, or coating them with an excited magnetic material.

然して、ステージ４の位置決めに際し、ＸＹ可動ガイド
２，３を制止し、各コイル５２ａ。Therefore, when positioning the stage 4, the XY movable guides 2 and 3 are stopped and each coil 52a is moved.

５２ｂに電流を流して磁界を発生させるとき、各コイル
５２ａ、５２ｂと対応する可動ガイド２．３の両側面の
磁性体５１ａと５１ａ、５１ｂと５１ｂとが互いに磁気
反発、或いは磁気吸引し、各々ガイド２，３両側におい
て反発力或いは吸引力がつり合う。このつり合った反発
力或いは吸引力は、ＸＹ可動ガイド２，３に対しステー
ジ４を一定位置に留める拘束力として作用し空気浮上の
ステージ４をガイド２．３に完全静止し、従来の空気膜
による“ゆらぎ”の問題を解消する。When a current is passed through 52b to generate a magnetic field, the magnetic bodies 51a and 51a, 51b and 51b on both sides of the movable guide 2.3 corresponding to each coil 52a and 52b magnetically repel or attract each other, respectively. Repulsion or attraction forces are balanced on both sides of the guides 2 and 3. This balanced repulsion or attraction force acts as a restraining force on the XY movable guides 2 and 3 to keep the stage 4 in a fixed position, and the air-levitating stage 4 is brought to a complete standstill on the guide 2.3. This solves the problem of “fluctuation” due to

従って、本発明では、従来限界とされた０、０１μｍ以
下の超精度な位置決めを実現できる効果を有すものであ
る。Therefore, the present invention has the effect of realizing ultra-accurate positioning of 0.01 μm or less, which was the conventional limit.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of the drawing]

第１図は本発明にがかるＸＹステージの斜視図、第２図
は要部の斜面図、第３図は第２図の平面図、第４図は第
３図ＩＶ−ＴＶ線矢印図、第５図は従来のＸＹステージ
の斜面図、第６図は第５図の一部拡大図、第７図はガイ
ド静止時におけるステージのゆらぎを測定した波形図で
ある。 ２．３・・・・ｘｙ可動ガイド ４・・・・ステージ ４１・・・・空気軸受 ５・・・・磁気拘束手段 ５１ａ、５１ｂ・・・・磁性体 ５２ａ、　５２ｂ・・・・励磁コイル そとト　　ノ　　１ｆｆｉ　　　　　ｙ畦、ｏ−かる×
Ｙステージ″゛、？ｉ＋ネｔバろ甘２）込　１ｐつ枡面
因 ！４ ２．３−−−ｘＹ町１＋　ｒｙ・ｉド 〃−−−ステーゾ ｂｌ−−−ｄＺｊｆｔ伽受Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the XY stage according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an oblique view of the main parts, Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a diagram of the IV-TV line arrow in Fig. 3, FIG. 5 is a slope view of a conventional XY stage, FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a waveform diagram of measured stage fluctuations when the guide is stationary. 2.3...xy movable guide 4...stage 41...air bearing 5...magnetic restraint means 51a, 51b...magnetic bodies 52a, 52b...excitation coil etc. and tono 1ffi y ridge, o-karu×
Y stage ``゛,?i+Network sweet 2) included 1p masumen cause!4 2.3---xY town 1+ ry・i do〃---Stezo bl---dZjft kyake

Claims (2)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] （１）ＸＹ可動ガイドの交叉部に空気軸受を介してステ
ージを支持した静圧浮上ＸＹステージにおいて、ＸＹ可
動ガイドとステージとの間に、空気浮上のステージを完
全制止させる磁気拘束手段を設けて成るを特徴とするＸ
Ｙステージ。(1) In a statically floating XY stage in which the stage is supported via an air bearing at the intersection of the XY movable guide, magnetic restraint means is provided between the XY movable guide and the stage to completely restrain the air floating stage. X characterized by consisting of
Y stage. （２）磁気拘束手段は、ＸＹ可動ガイドには両側面に磁
性体、ステージには該磁性体に対向して磁界を発生する
励磁コイルが配備されている特許請求の範囲第１項記載
のＸＹステージ。(2) The magnetic restraint means is the XY movable guide according to claim 1, wherein the XY movable guide is provided with a magnetic body on both sides, and the stage is provided with an excitation coil that generates a magnetic field in opposition to the magnetic body. stage.