JP7445490B2 - Actuator device and stage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an actuator device and a stage device.

Conventionally, a fixed base body and a movable top plate are connected by a bellows, the bellows is stretched by introducing working fluid through an inlet provided in the base body, and the return force of the bellows is applied by a spring means. A uniaxial actuator that achieves this is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-346009

One of the typical applications in which the above-mentioned actuator is used is in the field of precision machinery such as semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In these fields, there has recently been an increasing demand for accurate positioning of objects to be processed in a vacuum environment within processing equipment.

One exemplary objective of certain aspects of the present invention is to provide an actuator device and a stage device that can be used in a vacuum environment.

According to an aspect of the invention, the actuator device has a coupling member and a sealed pressure chamber expandable and retractable in a predetermined axial direction, and is coupled to the coupling member on a first side relative to the coupling member in the axial direction; a main actuator that drives the coupling member in the axial direction by expansion and contraction of the pressure chamber; A plurality of sub-actuators are connected to the connecting member on the second side and drive the connecting member in the axial direction by expansion and contraction of the pressure chamber. The plurality of sub-actuators are arranged offset in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction with respect to the main actuator.

According to an aspect of the invention, the actuator device has a coupling member and a sealed pressure chamber expandable and retractable in a predetermined axial direction, and is coupled to the coupling member on a first side relative to the coupling member in the axial direction; It has a main actuator that drives the connecting member in the axial direction by expanding and contracting the pressure chamber, and a sealed pressure chamber that is expandable and contractible in the axial direction, and has a second side opposite to the first side with respect to the connecting member in the axial direction. A sub-actuator is connected to the connecting member and drives the connecting member in the axial direction by expansion and contraction of the pressure chamber. The sub-actuator is arranged with an offset in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction with respect to the main actuator.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a stage device includes an XY stage having a movable part movable in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the above-described actuator device. The actuator device is mounted on the movable part of the XY stage as a Z-axis drive mechanism.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a stage device includes the above-mentioned actuator device as a drive mechanism for translational degrees of freedom.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an actuator device and a stage device that can be used in a vacuum environment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a stage device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view of an actuator device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the main actuator according to the embodiment. A modification of the main actuator according to the embodiment is shown.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description and drawings, the same or equivalent components, members, and processes are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations will be omitted as appropriate. The scales and shapes of the parts shown in the figures are set for convenience to facilitate explanation, and should not be interpreted in a limited manner unless otherwise stated. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention. All features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a stage device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the actuator device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the main actuator according to the embodiment. In FIG. 3, the upward direction indicates the +Z direction, and the downward direction indicates the -Z direction. FIG. 4 schematically shows a cross section taken along a plane (eg, YZ plane) that includes the central axis of the main actuator.

The actuator device 120 is a uniaxial linear actuator, and is configured to support a driven body and drive the driven body in a predetermined axial direction (for example, the Z-axis direction). The driven object may be, for example, a table 70 that holds a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. The driven object may or may not be considered one of the components of the actuator device 120. In this embodiment, as an example, the actuator device 120 is used as a Z-axis drive mechanism in the stage device 100, which is an XY stage. The stage device 100 has a movable part (for example, the first movable part 64) that is movable in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the actuator device 120 is mounted on this movable part. This movable part is considered to be a support that supports the actuator device 120.

The configuration of the actuator device 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The actuator device 120 includes one main actuator 122, two sub-actuators 124 and 126, and a connecting member 130. Actuator device 120 may be placed and used in a vacuum environment.

Note that the names "main actuator" and "sub actuator" do not mean that there is a master-slave relationship between the two. Therefore, the "main actuator" and the "sub-actuator" may be referred to as the "first actuator" and the "second actuator", respectively. Furthermore, the sub-actuators 124 and 126 include the same components as the main actuator 122. Common configurations will be explained using the main actuator 122 as an example, and redundant explanations about the sub-actuators 124 and 126 will be omitted as appropriate to avoid redundancy.

The main actuator 122 has a sealed pressure chamber 150 that is expandable and retractable in the Z-axis direction, is connected to the connecting member 130 on the first side (lower side in FIG. 3) with respect to the connecting member 130 in the Z-axis direction, and is connected to the connecting member 130 in the Z-axis direction. The expansion and contraction of the chamber 150 drives the connecting member 130 in the Z-axis direction. The pressure chamber 150 of the main actuator 122 is configured to expand and contract in the Z-axis direction due to pressure changes associated with gas supply and discharge. The pressure chamber 150 has a base 144, a movable body 146, and an extendable portion 148.

The main actuator 122 extends in the Z-axis direction from the first movable part 64, which is a support of the actuator device 120, to the connecting member 130. A base 144 is provided at the lower end of the main actuator 122, and the base 144 is fixed to the first movable part 64. A movable body 146 is provided at the upper end of the main actuator 122, and the movable body 146 is fixed to the connecting member 130. The extensible portion 148 is a partition wall that extends in the Z-axis direction from the base portion 144 to the movable body 146 and connects the base portion 144 to the movable body 146 and is expandable and retractable in the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the telescoping portion 148 is a bellows, for example a vacuum bellows made of a metal material or other suitable material. Pressure chamber 150 is defined within main actuator 122 as an internal volume surrounded and sealed by base 144 , movable body 146 , and telescoping portion 148 .

The movable body 146 includes a pressure receiving portion 146a and a shaft 146b extending downward from the center of the pressure receiving portion 146a and disposed within the pressure chamber 150. The upper end of the expandable portion 148 is connected to the outer peripheral portion of the lower surface of the pressure receiving portion 146a. A region of the lower surface of the pressure receiving portion 146a exposed to the pressure chamber 150 becomes a pressure receiving surface of the movable body 146. For example, the pressure receiving portion 146a may have a disk shape arranged along a plane perpendicular to the Z-axis, and the shaft 146b may have a cylindrical shape having a smaller diameter than the pressure receiving portion 146a. In this case, the pressure-receiving surface of the movable body 146 is an annular region of the lower surface of the pressure-receiving portion 146a that is radially inside from the expandable portion 148 and radially outside from the shaft 146b.

The base portion 144 has a guide portion 154 that extends upward within the pressure chamber 150 . A shaft 146b is inserted into the guide portion 154, so that the base portion 144 guides the movement of the movable body 146 in the Z-axis direction. The guide portion 154 has, for example, a cylindrical shape that receives the shaft 146b. The base portion 144, the movable body 146, and the extendable portion 148 are arranged coaxially with the central axis of the main actuator 122.

Main actuator 122 also includes a conduit 152 that extends through base 144 and into pressure chamber 150 . In the illustrated example, the tip of the conduit 152 is located below the guide portion 154 and near the bottom surface of the shaft 146b. Conduit 152 is connected to an external source of working gas (not shown) that supplies working gas to pressure chamber 150 through conduit 152 . Conduit 152 may also be connected to an external exhaust pump (not shown), and working gas may be exhausted from pressure chamber 150 through conduit 152. In this embodiment, the actuator device 120 is configured, for example, as a pneumatic actuator (so-called air actuator), and the working gas is air.

The main actuator 122 is provided with a position sensor 156 for measuring the amount of movement of the main actuator 122. For example, the position sensor 156 may be installed on the base 144 and configured to measure the position (for example, the position in the Z-axis direction) of the movable body 146 with respect to the base 144.

Each of the sub-actuators 124 and 126 has a sealed pressure chamber 150 that is expandable and retractable in the Z-axis direction, and is located on a second side opposite to the first side (in FIG. 3) with respect to the connecting member 130 in the Z-axis direction. The connecting member 130 is connected to the connecting member 130 at the upper side), and the connecting member 130 is driven in the Z-axis direction by expansion and contraction of the pressure chamber 150. The pressure chambers 150 of each sub-actuator 124, 126 are configured to expand and contract in the Z-axis direction due to pressure changes associated with gas supply and discharge. The pressure chamber 150 has a base 144, a movable body 146, and an extendable portion 148.

The sub-actuators 124 and 126 have a vertical arrangement reversed from that of the main actuator 122. Therefore, a movable body 146 is provided at the lower end of each sub-actuator 124, 126, and the movable body 146 is fixed to the connecting member 130. The extensible portion 148 is a partition wall that extends in the Z-axis direction from the base portion 144 to the movable body 146 and connects the base portion 144 to the movable body 146 and is expandable and retractable in the Z-axis direction. A base 144 is provided at the upper end of each sub-actuator 124 , 126 , and the base 144 is fixed to the support flange 132 . The support flange 132 is provided on the outside in the radial direction with respect to the actuator device 120 and is fixed to the first movable portion 64 . A pressure chamber 150 is defined within each sub-actuator 124, 126 as an internal volume surrounded and sealed by the base 144, the movable body 146, and the telescoping portion 148. A region of the lower surface of the pressure receiving portion 146a of the movable body 146 exposed to the pressure chamber 150 becomes a pressure receiving surface of the movable body 146.

In this embodiment, the pressure receiving area of the movable body 146 of the main actuator 122 is equal to the sum of the pressure receiving areas of the movable bodies 146 of each sub-actuator 124, 126. Since the two subactuators 124 and 126 have the same configuration, the pressure receiving area of the movable body 146 of each subactuator 124 and 126 is equal to half the pressure receiving area of the movable body 146 of the main actuator 122.

Further, it is preferable that the centers of gravity of the pressure receiving surface of the main actuator 122 and the pressure receiving surfaces of the sub-actuators 124 and 126 overlap in the XY plane. This makes it possible to match the points of application of force on the XY plane and maintain the table 70 parallel to the XY plane.

The positional relationship between the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124 and 126 will be explained. The sub-actuators 124 and 126 are arranged offset from the main actuator 122 in a first direction (Y-axis direction in FIG. 3) perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The offsets are uniform, ie, a pair of sub-actuators 124, 126 are placed equidistant from the main actuator 122 with the main actuator 122 sandwiched between them.

Furthermore, the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124 and 126 are arranged to at least partially overlap in the Z-axis direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower ends of the sub-actuators 124, 126 are arranged at a lower position than the upper end of the main actuator 122, and the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124, 126 as a whole are approximately the same in the Z-axis direction. placed at a height.

The connecting member 130 includes a first fixing part 134 and a pair of second fixing parts 136 and 138 arranged at different heights from the first fixing part 134 in the Z-axis direction. The first fixing part 134 is arranged above the second fixing parts 136 and 138. Further, the connecting member 130 is a pair of connecting members connecting the first fixing part 134 and the second fixing part 136 so as to form a crank shape when viewed from a second direction (X-axis direction in FIG. 3) perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. The wall portions 140 and 142 are provided. The walls 140, 142 extend along the Z-axis. The connecting member 130 is made of a highly rigid metal material or the like.

A movable body 146 of the main actuator 122 is fixed to the lower surface of the first fixed part 134, and the main actuator 122 is connected to a recessed part of the connecting member 130 formed by the first fixed part 134 and the pair of walls 140 and 142. located within. A table 70 is fixed to the upper surface of the first fixing part 134. Further, a movable body 146 of the corresponding sub-actuator 124, 126 is fixed to the upper surface of each of the pair of second fixed parts 136, 138, and each sub-actuator 124, 126 is connected to the corresponding wall part 140, 142. The support flange 132 is disposed between the support flange 132 and the support flange 132 . The first fixed portion 134 is arranged at approximately the same height as the base 144 of the sub-actuators 124, 126, and the second fixed portion 136, 138 is arranged at approximately the same height as the base 144 of the main actuator 122.

In this way, the movable body 146 of the main actuator 122 and the bases 144 of the sub-actuators 124, 126 are arranged on the same side (upper side in FIG. 3) with respect to the movable body 146 of the sub-actuators 124, 126. . Furthermore, the movable bodies 146 of the sub-actuators 124 and 126 and the base 144 of the main actuator 122 are arranged on the same side (lower side in FIG. 3) with respect to the movable body 146 of the main actuator 122.

The actuator device 120 also includes a control section 128 that controls the main actuator 122 and sub-actuators 124 and 126. The control unit 128 can control the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124 and 126 in conjunction with each other or independently.

The control unit 128 is configured to control the pressure in each of the pressure chambers 150 of the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124 and 126. When the working gas is supplied to the pressure chamber 150 via the conduit 152, the pressure in the pressure chamber 150 increases, and when the working gas is discharged from the pressure chamber 150, the pressure in the pressure chamber 150 decreases.

The control unit 128 may be configured to receive the output of the position sensor 156 and control the pressure in each of the pressure chambers 150 of the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124 and 126 based on the output. The control unit 128 may acquire the Z-axis position of the connecting member 130, that is, the table 70, from the output of the position sensor 156, and adjusts the pressure in the pressure chamber 150 so that the acquired Z-axis position coincides with the target position. may be controlled.

The internal configuration of the control unit 128 is realized as a hardware configuration by elements and circuits such as a computer's CPU and memory, and as a software configuration by a computer program, etc.; It is depicted as a functional block to be realized. Those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be implemented in various ways by combining hardware and software.

Next, the operation of the actuator device 120 will be explained. When the actuator device 120 starts operating, working gas is supplied to the pressure chambers 150 of the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124 and 126 under the control of the control unit 128. The pressure in each pressure chamber 150 is determined in consideration of various factors such as, for example, the balance between the driving forces of the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124 and 126, and the control characteristics of the Z-axis position of the connecting member 130 (and table 70). .

The working gas pressure of the main actuator 122 may be greater than the working gas pressure of the sub-actuators 124, 126 in order to support the weight of the movable body 146 of the sub-actuators 124, 126, the connecting member 130, and the table 70. The pressures of each sub-actuator 124, 126 are adjusted to be equal to each other.

When the Z-axis direction position of the table 70 is lower than the target position, working gas is supplied to the main actuator 122, and the pressure chamber 150 of the main actuator 122 is pressurized. As a result, the extendable portion 148 of the main actuator 122 is extended in the Z-axis direction, and the movable body 146 is moved upward in the Z-axis direction. Along with this, or in place of this, the working gas may be exhausted from the sub-actuators 124, 126 to reduce the pressure in the sub-actuators 124, 126. In this way, the connecting member 130 is moved together with the movable body 146 in the +Z direction, and furthermore, the table 70 is moved together with the connecting member 130 in the +Z direction toward the target position.

When raising the table 70, the control unit 128 may adjust the amount of air so that the amount of extension of the main actuator 122 is greater than the amount of extension of the sub-actuators 124 and 126 based on the detection result of the position sensor 156. As a result, forces are simultaneously applied to the connecting member 130 from the ±Z directions, suppressing a sudden rise of the connecting member 130, and suppressing vibration of the connecting member 130. As the connecting member 130 slowly rises, the table 70 also rises.

Conversely, when the Z-axis direction position of the table 70 is higher than the target position, working gas is supplied to the sub-actuators 124, 126, and the pressure chambers 150 of the sub-actuators 124, 126 are pressurized. As a result, the extensible parts 148 of the sub-actuators 124 and 126 are extended in the Z-axis direction, and the movable body 146 is moved downward in the Z-axis direction. Along with this, or in place of this, the working gas may be exhausted from the main actuator 122 and the pressure of the main actuator 122 may be reduced. In this way, the connecting member 130 is moved together with the movable body 146 in the -Z direction, and furthermore, the table 70 is moved together with the connecting member 130 in the -Z direction toward the target position.

In the actuator device 120 according to the present embodiment, the main actuator 122 has a sealed pressure chamber 150 that can expand and contract in a predetermined axial direction, and each of the plurality of sub-actuators 124 and 126 can expand and contract in the axial direction. It has a sealed pressure chamber 150. More specifically, the main actuator 122 and the sub-actuators 124, 126 have a sealed structure using, for example, a bellows 148. Since the pressure chamber 150 is thus sealed, leakage of the working gas to the surroundings of the actuator device 120 is prevented or suppressed. Thus, an actuator device 120 is provided that can be used in a vacuum environment.

For comparison, consider a configuration in which a pair of main actuators 122 are arranged coaxially and facing each other. In this case, the two main actuators 122 are arranged in series with the connecting member 130 in between. Since the space above one main actuator 122 is occupied by the other main actuator 122, it is difficult to install the table 70 in this space. Therefore, if the table 70 is installed offset in the XY plane direction with respect to the main actuator 122, depending on the size and weight of the table 70, in order to guarantee linear movement in the Z-axis direction, the surroundings of the table 70 (for example, on both sides or A plurality of pairs of main actuators 122 may be required on all four sides.

On the other hand, in this embodiment, the plurality of sub-actuators 124 and 126 are arranged offset from the main actuator 122 in a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction. It is easy to provide a space above the main actuator 122 for arranging a driven object such as the table 70, and the driven object can be arranged coaxially with the main actuator 122. Since the drive mechanism can be implemented with one actuator device 120, the drive mechanism can be made smaller.

Further, the main actuator 122 and the plurality of sub-actuators 124 and 126 are arranged to at least partially overlap in the Z-axis direction. To achieve this, preferably a crank-shaped coupling member 130 is used. Thereby, the height of the actuator device 120 in the Z-axis direction can be kept small. Therefore, the actuator device 120 is suitable for applications that require a reduction in overall height, such as a Z-axis drive mechanism mounted on the first movable portion 64 of an XY stage.

In general, in a typical air actuator, the pressure-receiving area is different between the forward motion and the backward motion of the actuator, depending on its internal structure, and as a result, the control characteristics are often different between the forward motion and the backward motion. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the actuator device 120 is designed such that the pressure receiving area of the movable body 146 of the main actuator 122 is equal to the sum of the pressure receiving areas of the movable bodies 146 of each sub-actuator 124 and 126. There is. The same control can be performed when the actuator device 120 pushes and pulls the connecting member 130 and the table 70 in the axial direction. For example, the sensitivity (gain) of the push and pull forces can be made equal, which helps improve the positioning accuracy of the actuator device 120.

An exemplary configuration of the stage device 100 to which the actuator device 120 can be applied will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. It goes without saying that the actuator device 120 is applicable not only to the stage device 100 described below but also to various positioning devices or drive mechanisms.

For convenience of explanation, as shown in the figure, a certain direction parallel to the board surface 10a is the X-axis direction, a direction parallel to the board surface 10a orthogonal to the X-axis direction is the Y-axis direction, and a direction perpendicular to both (that is, perpendicular to the board surface 10a). An XYZ orthogonal coordinate system whose direction is the Z-axis direction is determined. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the stage device 100. The stage device 100 is called an XY stage, and positions the object in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction.

The stage device 100 includes a surface plate 10, a first moving body 12, a second moving body 14, a first X-axis drive section 16, a second X-axis drive section 18, a first Y-axis drive section 20, and a second Y-axis drive section 16. It includes a shaft drive section 22, a first guide 24, a second guide 26, and four connecting members 88.

The surface plate 10 is a rectangular member in plan view. A plate surface 10a, which is the upper surface of the surface plate 10, is subjected to a flat surface processing. Further, the first side surface 10b extending along the Y-axis direction is also subjected to planar processing. The board surface 10a and the first side surface 10b function as a sliding surface on which an air bearing slides, as will be described later.

The first Y-axis drive unit 20 includes a first Y-axis stator 28 and a first Y-axis mover 30. The first Y-axis stator 28 is an elongated cylindrical member, and is constructed by connecting a plurality of cylindrical magnets. The first Y-axis stator 28 is arranged so that its axial direction coincides with the Y-axis direction, and both ends are held by a pair of holding members (not shown) fixed to the first side surface 10b of the surface plate 10. That is, the first Y-axis stator 28 is arranged outside the surface plate 10 in plan view.

The first Y-axis mover 30 includes a housing 32 and a coil (not shown). The housing 32 has an insertion hole with a circular cross section that extends in the Y-axis direction, through which the first Y-axis stator 28 is inserted. The coil is arranged in the insertion hole so as to surround the first Y-axis stator 28, and is fixed to the circumferential surface of the insertion hole. When a current flows through the coil, an electromagnetic force is generated between the coil and the first Y-axis stator 28, and the electromagnetic interaction causes the coil and thus the first Y-axis mover 30 to move in the Y-axis direction.

The second Y-axis drive unit 22 includes a second Y-axis stator 34 and a second Y-axis mover 36. The second Y-axis stator 34 and the second Y-axis mover 36 are configured similarly to the first Y-axis stator 28 and the first Y-axis mover 30. Note that the second Y-axis stator 34 is arranged so that its axial direction coincides with the Y-axis direction and is aligned parallel to the first Y-axis stator 28. Further, the second Y-axis stator 34 is supported at both ends by a pair of holding members (not shown) fixed on the board surface 10a.

The second moving body 14 includes a second movable portion 38 , a plurality of Y-axis yaw air bearings 40 , a guide beam 42 , and a plurality of Y-axis lift air bearings 44 .

The second movable part 38 is a plate-shaped member, and is arranged so that its two main surfaces face the X-axis direction. The second movable section 38 is provided below the first Y-axis movable element 30 and is connected to the first Y-axis movable element 30 . Therefore, the second movable part 38 moves together with the first Y-axis movable element 30. A lower portion of the second movable portion 38 faces the first side surface 10b of the surface plate 10.

The plurality of Y-axis yaw air bearings 40 are fixed to the lower part of the second movable part 38 facing the first side surface 10b of the surface plate 10, and eject gas such as air to the first side surface 10b. The repulsive force maintains the non-contact state between the second movable portion 38 and the first side surface 10b.

The guide beam 42 is a long member, and is arranged between a first X-axis stator 52 (described later) and a second X-axis stator 58 (described later) so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the X-axis direction. Ru. The guide beam 42 has one end connected to the second movable section 38 and the other end connected to the second Y-axis movable element 36 . The guide beam 42 has a concave cross section perpendicular to the X-axis direction. Specifically, guide beam 42 includes a bottom wall 46, a first side wall 48, and a second side wall 50. The bottom wall 46 is a flat member that is long in the X-axis direction, and is provided so that its two main surfaces face the Z-axis direction. The first side wall 48 is a vertical wall that is long in the X-axis direction, and is erected from one end of the upper surface (that is, one main surface) of the bottom wall 46 in the Y-axis direction. Like the first side wall 48, the second side wall 50 is a vertical wall that is long in the X-axis direction, and is erected from the other end of the top surface of the bottom wall 46 in the Y-axis direction so as to face the first side wall 48 in the Y-axis direction. do.

The outer surface of the first side wall 48, that is, the surface opposite to the surface facing the second side wall 50, is processed to be flat and functions as a sliding surface on which the air bearing slides. Hereinafter, the outer surface of the first side wall 48 will be referred to as a first sliding surface 48a. Similarly, the outer surface of the second side wall 50 is processed to be flat and functions as a sliding surface on which the air bearing slides. Hereinafter, the outer surface of the second side wall 50 will be referred to as a second sliding surface 50a.

A plurality of Y-axis lift air bearings 44 are fixed to the guide beam 42. The Y-axis lift air bearing 44 blows out gas against the plate surface 10a of the surface plate 10. Due to the repulsive force, the Y-axis lift air bearing 44 and thus the guide beam 42 are supported in the Z-axis direction without contacting the board surface 10a, specifically, with a gap of about several μm between them and the board surface 10a.

The first X-axis drive section 16 includes a first X-axis stator 52, a first X-axis mover 54, and a first support member 56. The first X-axis stator 52 is configured similarly to the first Y-axis stator 28 and the second Y-axis stator 34. The first X-axis stator 52 is arranged so that its axial direction coincides with the X-axis direction, and both ends are supported by first support members 56. The first X-axis movable element 54 is configured similarly to the first Y-axis movable element 30 and the second Y-axis movable element 36, and moves in the X-axis direction by electromagnetic interaction with the first X-axis stator 52.

The second X-axis drive section 18 includes a second X-axis stator 58, a second X-axis movable element 60, and a second support member 62. The second X-axis stator 58 and the second X-axis mover 60 are configured similarly to the first X-axis stator 52 and the first X-axis mover 54. The second X-axis stator 58 has its axial direction aligned with the X-axis direction, is arranged parallel to the first X-axis stator 52, and is supported at both ends by the second support member 62.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first moving body 12 includes a first movable part 64, a plurality of X-axis yaw air bearings 66, a plurality of X-axis lift air bearings 68, and a table 70. The first movable part 64 is a square cylindrical member, through which the guide beam 42 is inserted. The first movable part 64 includes a bottom wall 72 , a top wall 74 , a first side wall 76 , and a second side wall 78 . The first side wall 76 faces the first sliding surface 48a of the guide beam 42, and the second side wall faces the second sliding surface 50a of the Y-axis guide. A first X-axis mover 54 is connected to the outer surface of the first side wall via a connecting member (not shown), and a second A shaft movable element 60 is connected. Therefore, the first movable part 64 moves together with the first X-axis movable element 54 and the second X-axis movable element 60.

The plurality of X-axis yaw air bearings 66 are fixed to the inner surface 76a of the first side wall 76 (i.e., the surface facing the second side wall) and the inner surface 78a of the second side wall 78 (i.e., the surface facing the first side wall). Gas is ejected to the first sliding surface 48a and the second sliding surface 50a of the beam 42. Further, the plurality of X-axis lift air bearings 68 are fixed to the lower surface 72a of the bottom wall 72 and eject gas toward the board surface 10a. The first movable part 64 remains out of contact with the guide beam 42 and the board surface 10a due to the repulsive force caused by the gas ejected from the X-axis yaw air bearing 66 and the X-axis lift air bearing 68. It is supported in the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction with a gap of about several μm between it and 10a.

An actuator device 120 is arranged on the first movable portion 64, and the table 70 is supported by the actuator device 120 so as to be movable along the Z-axis with respect to the first movable portion 64. Table 70 is driven by actuator device 120.

The present invention has been described above based on examples. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and that various design changes and modifications are possible, and that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention. By the way. Various features described in connection with one embodiment are also applicable to other embodiments. A new embodiment resulting from a combination has the effects of each of the combined embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the main actuator. The main actuator 180 according to the modified example has a diaphragm structure instead of the bellows structure. The main actuator 180 includes a base 182 in which a pressure chamber 150 is defined, and a movable body 184. A diaphragm 186 is provided within the pressure chamber 150 . When air is fed into pressure chamber 150 from an external air source through conduit 152, the internal pressure of diaphragm 186 increases and expands. By expanding the diaphragm 186, the movable body 184 is raised, and the table 70 can be raised. This structure may also be applied to sub-actuators 124, 126. Main actuator 180 using diaphragm 186 can also be used in a vacuum environment.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the actuator device 120 is used as the Z-axis drive mechanism of the stage device 100 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, actuator device 120 may be used as an X-axis drive mechanism or a Y-axis drive mechanism. In some embodiments, the stage device may include the actuator device 120 as a drive mechanism for any translational degree of freedom (that is, at least one of the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction).

In some embodiments, actuator device 120 may include more than two subactuators. The plurality of sub-actuators may be arranged with equal offsets in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction with respect to the main actuator. For example, three or four sub-actuators may be provided, and these may be arranged at equal distances from the main actuator 122 in the XY plane, and arranged at equal angular intervals around the main actuator 122. In this case as well, the pressure-receiving area of the movable body of the main actuator may be equal to the sum of the pressure-receiving areas of the movable bodies of each sub-actuator. For example, the pressure receiving area of the movable body of each sub-actuator may be 1/3 or 1/4 of the pressure receiving area of the movable body of the main actuator.

If desired, the actuator device 120 may include one main actuator and one sub-actuator. In other words, the number of subactuators may be only one. Alternatively, actuator device 120 may include multiple main actuators.

Although the present invention has been described using specific words based on the embodiments, the embodiments merely illustrate one aspect of the principles and applications of the present invention, and the embodiments do not include the claims. Many modifications and changes in arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in scope.

100 stage device, 120 actuator device, 122 main actuator, 124 sub-actuator, 180 main actuator

Claims (9)

a connecting member;
It has a sealed pressure chamber that can be expanded and contracted in a predetermined axial direction, and is connected to the connecting member on a first side with respect to the connecting member in the axial direction, and the connecting member is expanded and contracted in the axial direction by the expansion and contraction of the pressure chamber. a main actuator that drives the
each has a sealed pressure chamber that is expandable and retractable in the axial direction and is coupled to the coupling member in the axial direction on a second side opposite to the first side with respect to the coupling member; a plurality of sub-actuators that drive the connecting member in the axial direction by expansion and contraction of the
The actuator device is characterized in that the connecting member has a crank shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction . The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein the main actuator and the plurality of sub-actuators are arranged to at least partially overlap in the axial direction. 3. The actuator device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sub-actuators are arranged offset from the main actuator in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction . The pressure chamber of the main actuator includes a telescoping section and a movable body connected to the telescoping section and connected to the connecting member,
The pressure chamber of each sub-actuator includes a telescoping section and a movable body connected to the telescoping section and connected to the connecting member,
4. The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein a pressure receiving area of the movable body of the main actuator is equal to a sum of pressure receiving areas of the movable bodies of each sub-actuator. From claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-actuators include one or more sets of sub-actuators arranged with equal offsets in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction with respect to the main actuator. 4. The actuator device according to any one of 4. Claim 1, wherein the pressure chamber of the main actuator and the pressure chambers of the plurality of sub-actuators are each configured to expand and contract in the axial direction due to pressure changes caused by supply and discharge of gas. 6. The actuator device according to any one of 5 to 5. a connecting member;
It has a sealed pressure chamber that can be expanded and contracted in a predetermined axial direction, and is connected to the connecting member on a first side with respect to the connecting member in the axial direction, and the connecting member is expanded and contracted in the axial direction by the expansion and contraction of the pressure chamber. a main actuator that drives the
a sealed pressure chamber that can expand and contract in the axial direction, and is connected to the connecting member on a second side opposite to the first side with respect to the connecting member in the axial direction, and is connected to the connecting member in the axial direction by expanding and contracting the pressure chamber. a sub-actuator that drives the connecting member in the axial direction,
The actuator device is characterized in that the connecting member has a crank shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction . an XY stage having a movable part movable in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction;
An actuator device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A stage device, wherein the actuator device is mounted on the movable portion of the XY stage as a Z-axis drive mechanism. A stage device comprising the actuator device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 as a drive mechanism for translational degrees of freedom.

Images