Magnetic Guide Apparatus, Stage Apparatus, Exposure Apparatus, and Device Manufacturing Method

• US 20080073982A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Takaiwa, Hiroaki, Tanimura, Hisashi, Ono, Kazuya
• Application Number:
  US11/793,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20080073982A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/12
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70725 control
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70816 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/682 Mask-wafer alignment in general G03F7/70, G03F9/70
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/03 Synchronous motors; Motors moving step by step; Reluctance motors H02K41/035 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/09 with magnetic bearings

Abstract

A magnetic guide apparatus includes a guide member that has a guide plane provided along a first direction, and a moving body that has a facing plane facing the guide plane to be spaced apart from the guide plane. Magnetic attractive force is permitted to operate between the guide plane and the facing plane, such that the moving body is moved along the first direction while movement to a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the guide plane, is controlled. A first groove section is formed along the first direction on the guide plane and a second groove section is formed along the first direction so as to face the first groove section on the facing plane.

Claims

1. A magnetic guide apparatus comprising:

a guide member that has a guide plane provided along a first direction; and

a moving body that has a facing plane facing the guide plane to be spaced apart from the guide plane,

wherein magnetic attractive force is permitted to operate between the guide plane and the facing plane, such that the moving body is moved along the first direction while movement to a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the guide plane, is controlled,

wherein a first groove section is formed along the first direction on the guide plane, and

wherein a second groove section is formed along the first direction on the facing plane so as to face the first groove section.

2. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a plurality of groove sections are formed on each of the guide plane and the facing plane.

3. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the guide member or the moving body has a magnet member that, through the guide plane and the facing plane, forms a magnetic circuit within a plane orthogonal to each of the first direction and the facing plane.

4. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the magnetic circuit is formed in two or more.

5. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the magnet member is a plurality of permanent magnets that are arranged with alternating polarities.

6. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the magnet member is a plurality of electromagnets that are arranged with alternating polarities.

7. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the moving body or the guide member is configured to reduce a resistive force to the moving body to be generated when the moving body moves along the guide plane.

8. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein, when the guide member has the magnet member, the moving body is configured to reduce the resistive force to the moving body to be generated when the moving body moves along the guide plane, and

when the moving body has the magnet member, the guide member is configured to reduce the resistive force to the moving body to be generated when the moving body moves along the guide plane.

9. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein the moving body or the guide member has a laminate in which a plurality of plate members are laminated.

10. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein, in the laminate, each of interfaces of the plurality of plate members is parallel to a plane that is orthogonal to each of the first direction and the facing plane.

11. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein, in the laminate, each of interfaces of the plurality of plate members is parallel to a plane that is orthogonal to each of the second direction and the facing plane.

12. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a width of a protruding portion of the facing plane excluding the groove section is defined by a permissible movement distance of the plate members to the second direction.

13. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein a width of a protruding portion of the facing plane excluding the groove section is defined on the basis of a relational expression in respects to a length of the facing plane in the first direction and a saturated magnetic flux density of each of the plate members.

20. A stage apparatus comprising:

a base; and

a stage that is relatively movable with respect to the base,

wherein the magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 1 is used as a guide apparatus that is disposed between the base and the stage to relatively move the base and the stage only in a predetermined direction.

21. The stage apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the base has a guide plane and a bearing plane that is provided at a different position from the guide plane, and

the stage has the moving body and fluid bearings that are provided to face the bearing plane to support the stage.

22. The stage apparatus according to claim 21,

wherein the fluid bearings are disposed at both sides of the magnetic guide apparatus relative to the second direction.

23. The stage apparatus according to claim 21,

wherein a plurality of magnetic guide apparatuses are provided in pairs, and

at least a pair of magnetic guide apparatuses are disposed such that magnetic attractive force, which is generated by one magnetic guide apparatus and operates between the guide plane and the facing plane, and magnetic attractive force, which is generated by the other magnetic guide apparatus and operates between the guide plane and the facing plane, are substantially offset with each other.

24. The stage apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

an actuator that relatively moves the base and the stage and generates attractive force operating between the base and the stage,

wherein magnetic attractive force to be generated by the magnetic guide apparatus is substantially offset by magnetic attractive force to be generated by the actuator.

25. The stage apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a mass body that moves according to movement of the stage to suppress a reaction force to be generated by the movement of the stage,

wherein the magnetic guide apparatus is used as a guide apparatus that guides the mass body.

28. An exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern formed in a mask to a substrate, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a mask stage that holds the mask; and

a substrate stage that holds the substrate,

wherein the stage apparatus according to claim 20 is used for at least one of the mask stage and the substrate stage.

29. An exposure apparatus that forms a predetermined pattern in a substrate held by a substrate stage,

wherein the stage apparatus according to claim 20 is used as the substrate stage.

30. A device manufacturing method that includes a lithography process,

wherein, in the lithography process, the exposure apparatus according to claim 28 is used.

14. A magnetic guide apparatus comprising:

a guide member that has a guide plane provided along a first direction; and

a moving body that has a facing plane facing the guide plane to be spaced apart from the guide plane,

wherein magnetic attractive force is permitted to operate between the guide plane and the facing plane, such that the moving body is moved along the first direction while movement to a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the guide plane, is controlled, and

wherein either the guide member or the moving body has a magnet member that, through the guide plane and the facing plane, forms a magnetic circuit within a plane orthogonal to each of the first direction and the facing plane.

15. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the magnetic circuit is formed in two or more.

16. A magnetic guide apparatus comprising:

a guide member that has a guide plane provided along a first direction; and

a moving body that has a facing plane facing the guide plane to be spaced apart from the guide plane,

wherein magnetic attractive force is permitted to operate between the guide plane and the facing plane, such that the moving body is moved along the first direction while movement to a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the guide plane, is controlled,

wherein either the guide member or the moving body has a magnet member that forms a magnetic circuit through the guide plane and the facing plane, and

wherein the guide member or the moving body is configured to reduce a resistive force to the moving body to be generated when the moving body moves along the guide plane.

17. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein the moving body or the guide member has a laminate in which a plurality of plate members are laminated.

18. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein, in the laminate, each of interfaces of the plurality of plate members is parallel to a plane that is orthogonal to each of the first direction and the facing plane.

19. The magnetic guide apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein, in the laminate, each of interfaces of the plurality of plate members is parallel to a plane that is orthogonal to each of the second direction and the facing plane.

26. A stage apparatus comprising:

a base that has a guide plane provided along a first direction;

a stage that has a facing plane facing the guide plane to be spaced apart from the guide plane and is movable along the first direction, while movement of a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the guide plane, is controlled, by magnetic attractive force operating between the guide plane and the facing plane; and

fluid bearings that are provided between the base and the stage at a different position from the guide plane to support the stage with respect to the base.

27. The stage apparatus according to claim 26,

wherein the fluid bearings are disposed at both sides of the guide plane or the facing plane relative to the second direction.

31. A moving device comprising:

a first member that has a guide plane which is provided along a first direction and has a first groove section formed along the first direction; and

a second member that has a facing plane which faces the guide plane to be spaced apart from the guide plane and has a second groove section along the first direction so as to face the first groove section,

wherein magnetic attractive force is permitted to operate between the guide plane and the facing plane, such that the second member is moved along the first direction relative to the first member while movement to a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the guide plane, is controlled.

32. A moving device comprising:

a first member that has a guide plane provided along a first direction; and

a second member that has a facing plane facing the guide plane to be spaced apart from the guide plane,

wherein magnetic attractive force is permitted to operate between the guide plane and the facing plane, such that the second member is moved along the first direction relative to the first member while movement to a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction and parallel to the guide plane, is controlled, and

wherein either the first member or the second member has a magnet member that, through the guide plane and the facing plane, forms a magnetic circuit within a plane orthogonal to each of the first direction and the facing plane.