Planar motor with linear coil arrays

• US 6,452,292 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2000
• Issued: 09/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Binnard, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullins, Burton S.
• Application Number:
  US09/603,845
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12, 310/13, 310/14, 310/15, 310/179, 310/180, 310/184, 310/181, 108/137, 108/138, 414/935, 414/936, 198/619
• US Class Current: 310/12.06
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70758 Drive means, e.g. actuators, motors for long- or short-stroke modules or fine or coarse driving
• 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: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling

Abstract

A planar electric motor comprising a magnet array having a plurality of magnets with magnetic fields of alternating polarity and a coil array positioned adjacent to the magnet array and operable to interact with said magnetic fields to generate an electromagnetic force between the coil array and the magnet array. The coil array includes a first linear coil array having a plurality of polygonal shaped coils extending longitudinally in a first direction, and a second linear coil array having a plurality of oval shaped coils extending longitudinally in a second direction generally orthogonal to said first direction. The motor is for use in moving a stage within an exposure apparatus having an optical system for imaging a pattern formed in a reticle onto an article supported by the stage.

Claims

1. A planar electric motor comprising:

a magnet array generating magnetic fields of alternating polarity; and

a coil array positioned adjacent to the magnet array and operable to interact with said magnetic fields to generate an electromagnetic force between the coil array and the magnet array, the coil array comprising a first coil array having a plurality of coils having a first shape and extending longitudinally in a first direction, and a second coil array having a plurality of coils having a second shape different from said first shape and extending longitudinally in a second direction generally orthogonal to said first direction,

wherein individual coil of the plurality of coils having the second shape has a length greater than the stroke of the motor in the second direction.

2. The electric motor of claim 1, wherein the first shape is a polygonal shape and the second shape is an oval shape and each of the oval shaped coils of the second coil array has a length greater than a length of the polygonal shaped coils of the first coil array.

3. The electric motor of claim 2, wherein a ratio of the length of the oval shaped coils to the length of the polygonal shaped coils is at least about 2.

4. The electric motor of claim 1, wherein the first coil array includes a plurality of polygonal shaped coils, and the second coil array includes a plurality of oval shaped coils.

5. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein each of said plurality of oval shaped coils is substantially flat with generally planar upper and lower surfaces.

6. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein the oval shaped coils are stacked in a laterally partially overlapping arrangement to form a row of coils.

7. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein said polygonal shape is hexagonal.

8. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein the polygonal shaped coils are arranged in a laterally abutting configuration to form a row of polygonal shaped coils.

9. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein the polygonal shaped coils are arranged in a laterally partially overlapping configuration to form a row of polygonal shaped coils.

10. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein said plurality of oval shaped coils comprises less coils than said plurality of polygonal shaped coils.

11. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein one of the magnet array and the coil array is operable to move in six degrees of freedom relative to the other of the magnet array and the coil array.

12. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein said magnetic fields alternate in adjacent rows and columns of the magnet array.

13. The electric motor of claim 4, wherein said magnet array comprises a plurality of magnets.

14. The electric motor of claim 13, wherein each of said plurality of magnets is rectangular in cross-sectional shape.

15. The electric motor of claim 13, wherein each of said plurality of magnets is octagonal in cross-sectional shape.

16. The electric motor of claim 1, wherein one of the first coil array and the second coil array is stacked on the other of the first coil array and the second coil array.

17. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a frame;

an optical system for forming an image on an article, the optical system being mounted on the frame;

a base positioned below the optical system;

a stage positioned adjacent to the base and configured for supporting the article, the stage being movable relative to the base and the optical system; and

an electric motor operable to move the stage, the motor comprising a magnet array generating magnetic fields of alternating polarity, and a coil array positioned adjacent to the magnet array and operable to interact with said magnetic fields to generate an electromagnetic force between the coil array and the magnet array, the coil array comprising a first coil array having a plurality of coils having a first shape and extending longitudinally in a first direction, and a second coil array having a plurality of coils having a second shape different from the first shape and extending longitudinally in a second direction generally orthogonal to said first direction, one of the coil array and the magnet array being connected to the stage for movement therewith relative to the other of the magnet array and the coil array connected to the base,

wherein individual coil of the plurality of coils having the second shape has a length greater than the stroke of the motor in the second direction.

18. The exposure apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first shape is a polygonal shape and the second shape is an oval shape and each of the oval shaped coils of the second coil array has a length greater than a length of the polygonal shaped coils of the first coil array.

19. The exposure apparatus of claim 18, wherein a ratio of the length of the oval shaped coils to the length of the polygonal shaped coils is at least about 2.

20. The exposure apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first coil array includes a plurality of polygonal shaped coils, and the second coil array includes a plurality of oval shaped coils.

21. The exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein each of said plurality of oval shaped coils is substantially flat with generally planar upper and lower surfaces.

22. The exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein the oval shaped coils are stacked in a laterally partially overlapping arrangement to form a row of coils.

23. The exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein the polygonal shaped coils are arranged in a laterally abutting configuration to form a row of polygonal shaped coils.

24. The exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein said polygonal shape is hexagonal.

25. The exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein said plurality of oval shaped coils comprises less coils than said plurality of polygonal shaped coils.

26. The exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein one of the magnet array and the coil array is operable to move in six degrees of freedom relative to the other of the magnet array and the coil array.

27. The exposure apparatus of claim 20, wherein one of the first coil array and the second coil array is stacked on the other of the first coil array and the second coil array.

28. The exposure apparatus of claim 17, wherein the magnet array is connected to a lower surface of the stage for movement therewith and the coil array is connected to an upper surface of the base.

29. The exposure apparatus of claim 17, wherein said magnet array comprises a plurality of magnets.

40. A device manufactured with the exposure apparatus of claim 17.

41. A wafer on which an image has been formed by the exposure apparatus of claim 17.

30. A stage positioning system comprising:

a stage movable relative to a stationary base in a first direction, and a second direction generally orthogonal to the first direction; and

an electric motor operable to move the stage, the motor comprising a magnet array generating magnetic fields of alternating polarity, and a coil array positioned adjacent to the magnet array and operable to interact with said magnetic fields to generate an electromagnetic force between the coil array and the magnet array, the coil array comprising a first coil array having a plurality of coils extending longitudinally in the first direction, and a second coil array having a plurality of coils extending longitudinally in the second direction, individual coil of the first coil array having a length smaller than a length of the stage in the first direction and individual coil of the second coil array having a length greater than a length of the stage in the second direction, one of the coil array and the magnet array being connected to the stage for movement therewith relative to the other of the magnet array and the coil array.

31. The stage positioning system of claim 30, wherein the coils of the first coil array are polygonal shaped.

32. The stage positioning system of claim 30, wherein the coils of the second coil array are oval shaped.

33. The stage positioning system of claim 30, wherein the length of the coils of the first coil array is about one half the length of the stage in the first direction.

34. The stage positioning system of claim 30, wherein the length of the coils of the second coil array is greater than the length of the stage in the second direction plus the stroke of the motor in the second direction.

35. The stage positioning system of claim 30, wherein the coils of the second coil array are stacked in a laterally overlapping arrangement.

36. The stage positioning system of claim 30, wherein the magnet array is connected to the stage.

37. The stage positioning system of claim 30, wherein said magnet array comprises a plurality of magnets.

38. A stage positioning system comprising:

a stage movable relative to a stationary base in a first direction, and a second direction generally orthogonal to the first direction; and

an electric motor operable to move the stage, the motor comprising a magnet array generating magnetic fields of alternating polarity, and a coil array positioned adjacent to the magnet array and operable to interact with said magnetic fields to generate an electromagnetic force between the coil array and the magnet array, the coil array comprising a first coil array having a plurality of coils extending longitudinally in the first direction, and a second coil array having a plurality of coils extending longitudinally in the second direction, the length of the individual coil of the second coil array in the second direction being greater than the length of the individual coil of the first coil array in the first direction, one of the coil array and the magnet array being connected to the stage for movement therewith relative to the other of the magnet array and the coil array.

39. The stage positioning system of claim 38, wherein said magnet array comprises a plurality of magnets to generate said magnetic fields.