STAGE ASSEMBLY WITH MEASUREMENT SYSTEM INITIALIZATION, VIBRATION COMPENSATION, LOW TRANSMISSIBILITY, AND LIGHTWEIGHT FINE STAGE

• US 20080278705A1
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bausan Yuan, Michael Binnard, Pai-Hsueh Yang, Ting-Chien Teng, Toshio Ueta, Wen-Hou Ma
• Original Assignee: Bausan Yuan, Michael Binnard, Pai-Hsueh Yang, Ting-Chien Teng, Toshio Ueta, Wen-Hou Ma
• Inventors: Binnard, Michael, Ma, Wen-Hou, Yuan, Bausan, Yang, Pai-Hsueh, Ueta, Toshio, Teng, Ting-Chien
• Granted Patent: US 8,582,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70775 Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/709 Vibration, e.g. vibration detection, compensation, suppression or isolation

Abstract

A stage assembly (220) that moves a work piece (200) about a first axis and along a first axis includes a first stage (238), a second stage (240) that retains the work piece (200), a second mover assembly (244), a measurement system, and an initialization system (1081A). The second mover assembly (244) moves the second stage (240) relative to the first stage (238) about the first axis. The measurement system (22) monitors the position of the second stage (240) about the first axis when the second stage (240) is positioned within a working range about the first axis. The initialization system (1081A) facilitates movement of the second stage (240) about the first axis when the second stage (240) is rotated about the first axis outside the working range. The second mover assembly (244) can include a mover (255) and a dampener (410) that reduces the transmission of vibration from the first stage (238) to the second stage (240). In addition, the stage assembly (220) can include a control system (24) that directs power to the mover (255) to position the second stage (240) and to compensate for vibration of the first stage (238).

Claims

1. A stage assembly that positions a work piece along a first axis, the stage assembly comprising:

a first stage;

a second stage that retains the work piece;

a second mover assembly that moves the second stage relative to the first stage along the first axis, the second mover assembly including a first mover component and a dampener that reduces the transmission of a disturbance of the first stage from being transferred to the second stage; and

a control system that directs power to the first mover component to compensate for the disturbance that is transmitted through the dampener.

2. The stage assembly of claim 1 wherein a disturbance force is transmitted through the dampener from the first stage and wherein the control system directs power to the first mover component to generate a compensation force component that compensates for the disturbance force.

3. The stage assembly of claim 2 wherein the compensation force is approximately equal to and opposite of the disturbance force.

4. The stage assembly of claim 2 wherein the dampener has a stiffness, and wherein the control system uses the stiffness to calculate the compensation force component.

5. The stage assembly of claim 1 wherein the second mover assembly includes a measurer that monitors the movement of a portion of the dampener, and wherein the control system uses information regarding the movement of the dampener to calculate the compensation force component.

6. The stage assembly of claim 1 wherein the second mover assembly includes a second mover component that interacts with the first mover component, and wherein the dampener couples the second mover component to the first stage.

7. The stage assembly of claim 1 further comprising a first mover assembly that moves the first stage with three degrees of movement.

8. An exposure apparatus including an illumination system and the stage assembly of claim 1.

9. A method for manufacturing a device, the method comprising the steps of providing a substrate and forming an image on the substrate with the exposure apparatus of claim 8.

10. A method for manufacturing a wafer, the method comprising the steps of providing a substrate and forming an image on the substrate with the exposure apparatus of claim 8.

11. A method for positioning a work piece along a first axis, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first stage;

providing a second stage that retains the work piece;

moving the second stage relative to the first stage along the first axis with a second mover assembly, the second mover assembly including a first mover component and a dampener that reduces the transmission of a disturbance of the first stage from being transferred to the second stage; and

directing power to the first mover component to position the second stage and to compensate for the disturbance that is transmitted through the dampener.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a disturbance force is transmitted through the dampener from the first stage and wherein the step of directing power generates a compensation force component that compensates for the disturbance force.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the compensation force is approximately equal to and opposite of the disturbance force.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the absolute value of the compensation force is at least approximately 90 percent of the absolute value of the disturbance force.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of experimentally determining a stiffness of the dampener.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of monitoring the movement of a portion of the dampener with a measurer.

17. A method for exposing on a work piece, the method comprising the steps of generating a beam and positioning the work piece in the path of the beam by the method of claim 11.