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DUAL WAFER STAGE EXCHANGING SYSTEM FOR LITHOGRAPHIC DEVICE

  • US 20120127448A1
  • Filed: 05/25/2010
  • Published: 05/24/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A dual wafer stage exchanging system for a lithographic device, the system comprising a first wafer stage (13) operating at an exposure workstation (3) and a second wafer stage (14) operating at a pre-processing workstation (4), the two wafer stages being disposed on a same rectangular base (1) with long side in X direction and short side in Y direction, the two wafer stages being over a top surface (2) of the base, characterized in that:

  • disposed at the two long sides of the base are a first Y linear motor stator (5) and a second Y linear motor stator (6) respectively, the first main driving unit (11), the first 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (7) and the second 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (8) share the first Y linear motor stator (5), the second main driving unit (12), the third 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (9) and the fourth 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (10) share the second Y linear motor stator (6);

    the first Y-direction guide rail (15) passes through the first wafer stage (13), and the second Y-direction guide rail (16) passes through the second wafer stage (14);

    the first Y-direction guide rail (15) has one end connected with the first main driving unit (11) and the other end butted with the fourth 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (10);

    the fourth 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (10) and the first Y-direction guide rail (15) are in separate structure by which they are disconnected upon position exchange of the two wafer stages;

    the second Y-direction guide rail (16) has one end connected with the second main driving unit (12) and the other end butted with the second 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (8);

    the second 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (8) and the first Y-direction guide rail (16) are in separate structure by which they are disconnected upon position exchange of the two wafer stages;

    when the two wafer stages exchange their positions, first of all, the first wafer stage (13) moves toward the first main driving unit (11) along the first Y-direction guide rail (15), and the second wafer stage (14) moves toward the second main driving unit (12) along the second Y-direction guide rail (16);

    then, the first Y-direction guide rail (15) separates from the fourth 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (10) and moves toward the first main driving unit (11), and the second Y-direction guide rail (16) separates from the second 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (8) and moves toward the second main driving unit (12), at the same time the second 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (8) and the fourth 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (10) move to left and right edges of the base, respectively;

    then, the first main driving unit (11) and the second main driving unit (12) drive the first wafer stage (13) and the second wafer stage (14) respectively to experience station exchange in X direction, at the same time, the first 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (7) moves to an initial position of the exposure workstation (3), and the third 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (9) moves to an initial position of the pre-processing workstation (4);

    Finally, the first Y-direction guide rail (15) and the third 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (9) are butted together, and the first wafer stage (13) moves to an initial position of the pre-processing workstation (4), the second Y-direction guide rail (16) and the first 1-DOF auxiliary driving unit (7) are butted, and the second wafer stage (14) moves to an initial position of the exposure workstation (3), the exchange is completed and the system enters a next cycle.

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