Electric linear motor

• US 6,570,273 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2001
• Issued: 05/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hazelton, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, JUDSON
• Application Number:
  US09/755,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20020089237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12, 310/13, 310/14, 310/42, 318/135, 295/96
• US Class Current: 310/12.25
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/03 Synchronous motors; Motors moving step by step; Reluctance motors H02K41/035 takes precedence

Abstract

A low mass electric linear motor having a magnet assembly with a plurality of magnets fixed to a base member. Each magnet has two opposing magnetic surfaces with opposite magnetic poles. The plurality of magnets are attached to the base member such that all of the opposing magnetic surfaces are aligned and are alternating in magnetic polarity along the base member. A coil assembly is disposed around at least a portion of the magnet assembly. The coil assembly has two walls joined to a header. Each of the walls has a plurality of juxtaposed flat coils and further has a plurality of bent coils. The bent coils overlap with the flat coils such that a vertical side of each bent coil is positioned within an aperture of a flat coil. In another aspect of the invention, each wall of the coil assembly is enclosed in a cooling canister. Chilled coolant is pumped through the canister thereby removing heat generated by the coil assembly during operation.

Claims

1. An electric linear motor comprising:

a magnet assembly comprising a plurality of magnets fixed to a base member, each magnet comprising two opposing magnetic surfaces having opposite magnetic poles, said plurality of magnets being attached to said base member such that said opposing magnetic surfaces are aligned and alternate in magnetic polarity along said base member; and

a coil assembly disposed around at least a portion of said magnet assembly, said coil assembly comprising two walls joined to a header, each of said two walls comprising a plurality of juxtaposed flat coils, each of said two walls further comprising a plurality of bent coils overlapping with said flat coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent bent coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding flat coil,

wherein the coil assembly further comprises a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and enclosing one of said walls, each of said cooling canisters having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the electric linear motor.

2. The electric linear motor as recited in claim 1, wherein said magnet assembly is mounted to a relatively fixed supporting surface and said coil assembly is adapted to travel along said magnet assembly.

3. The electric linear motor as recited in claim 1, wherein said coil assembly is mounted to a relatively fixed supporting surface and said magnet assembly is adapted to travel along said coil assembly.

4. The electric linear motor as recited in claim 2, wherein the magnet assembly has a length equal to or greater than the length of the coil assembly plus a desired travel distance of the coil assembly relative to the magnet assembly.

5. The electric linear motor as recited in claim 3, wherein the coil assembly has a length equal to or greater than the length of the magnet assembly plus a desired travel distance of the magnet assembly relative to the coil assembly.

6. The electric linear motor as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said canisters further encloses a spacer block, said spacer block configured such that when said spacer block is positioned in said canister, said spacer block and said wall form a coolant gap therebetween.

7. The electric linear motor as recited in claim 6, wherein said spacer block is made from a substantially non-electrically conductive material.

8. The electric motor as recited in claim 1, wherein the fluid can absorb at least 30 watts before rising about 1°

C.

9. The electric motor as recited in claim 1, further comprising a thermocouple positioned to be in contact with the fluid such that a fluid temperature can be measured.

10. The electric motor as recited in claim 9, wherein said thermocouple comprises at least one thermocouple positioned inside at least one of said canisters.

11. The electric linear motor as recited in claim 1, wherein said bent coils of one of said walls bend to the same direction.

12. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a source of a beam, said beam projecting light through a reticle;

an optical system into which said beam is directed for focusing said beam onto a substrate;

a stage holding said substrate, said beam passing through said reticle onto said substrate; and

an electric motor which drives said stage in a direction perpendicular to an axis of said beam, said electric motor including a coil assembly disposed around at least a portion of a magnet assembly, said coil assembly comprising two walls joined to a header, each of said two walls comprising a plurality of juxtaposed flat coils, each of said two walls further comprising a plurality of bent coil overlapping with said flat coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent bent coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding flat coil,

wherein the coil assembly further comprises a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and enclosing one of said walls, each of said cooling canisters having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the electric linear motor.

13. The exposure apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein each of said canisters further encloses a spacer block, said spacer block configured such that when said spacer block is positioned in said canister, said spacer block and said wall form a coolant gap therebetween.

14. The exposure apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein said spacer block is made from a substantially non-electrically conductive material.

15. The exposure apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the fluid can absorb at least 30 watts before rising 1°

C.

16. The exposure apparatus as recited in claim 12, further comprising a thermocouple positioned to be in contact with the fluid such that a fluid temperature can be measured.

17. The exposure apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said thermocouple comprises at least one thermocouple positioned inside at least one of said canisters.

18. An object on which an image has been formed by the exposure apparatus of claim 17.

19. The exposure apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein said bent coils of one of said walls of said electric motor bend to the same direction.

20. An armature for use in an electric motor, said armature comprising:

a coil assembly comprising two walls joined to a header, each of said two walls comprising a plurality of juxtaposed flat coils, each of said two walls further comprising a plurality of bent coils overlapping with said flat coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent bent coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding flat coil,

wherein the coil assembly further comprises a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and enclosing one of said walls, each of said cooling canisters having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the electric linear motor.

21. The armature as recited in claim 20, wherein each of said canisters further encloses a spacer block, said spacer block configured such that when said spacer block is positioned in said canister, said spacer block and said wall form a coolant gap therebetween.

22. The armature as recited in claim 21, wherein said spacer block is made from a substantially non-electrically conductive material.

23. The armature as recited in claim 20, wherein the fluid can absorb at least 30 watts before rising about 1°

C.

24. The armature as recited in claim 20, further comprising a thermocouple positioned to be in contact with the fluid such that a fluid temperature can be measured.

25. The armature as recited in claim 24, wherein said thermocouple comprises at least one thermocouple positioned inside at least one of said canisters.

26. The armature as recited in claim 20, wherein said bent coils of one of said walls bend to the same direction.

27. A coreless electric linear motor for causing smooth and unbiased linear motion comprising:

a magnet assembly comprising a plurality of magnets fixed to a base member, each magnet comprising two opposing magnetic surfaces having opposite magnetic poles, said plurality of magnets being attached to said base member such that said opposing magnetic surfaces are aligned and alternate in magnetic polarity along said base member; and

a coreless coil assembly slideably disposed over at least a portion of the magnet assembly, said coil assembly having two substantially parallel arrays of juxtaposed flat coils and bent coils, said bent coils overlapping with said flat coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent bent coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding flat coil,

wherein each of said bent coils has two outward bends relative to said magnets, and

wherein each of said arrays is enclosed by a cooling canister, said canister being cooled by a heat-absorbing fluid pumped through said canister so as to prevent an increase in a canister temperature by more than a predetermined temperature rise.

28. The coreless electric linear motor as recited in claim 27, wherein said predetermined temperature rise is about 1°

C.

29. The coreless electric linear motor as recited in claim 28 further comprising a thermocouple positioned to be in contact with the fluid such that a fluid temperature can be measured.

30. The coreless electric linear motor as recited in claim 29, wherein said thermocouple comprises at least one thermocouple positioned inside at least one of said canisters.

31. The coreless electric linear motor as recited in claim 27, wherein said bent coils of one of said parallel arrays bend to the same direction.

32. A method for making a linear motor using an electromagnetic force, comprising the steps of:

manufacturing a coil assembly by forming a number of individual coils, insulating the coils, pressing coils to be shaped, interlocking the shaped coils with non-pressed coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent shaped coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding non-pressed coil, attaching the interlocked coils to a header, electrically connecting the interlocked coils to a terminal, and enclosing the interlocked coils in a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the interlocked coils; and

disposing the coil assembly moveably relative to a magnet assembly by said electromagnetic force.

33. A method for making an exposure apparatus that forms an image formed on a first object on a second object, comprising the steps of:

providing an irradiation apparatus that irradiates the first object supported by a first stage with radiation to form the image on the second object;

manufacturing a coil assembly by forming a number of individual coils, insulating the coils, pressing coils to be shaped, interlocking the shaped coils with non-pressed coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent shaped coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding non-pressed coil, attaching the interlocked coils to a header, electrically connecting the interlocked coils to a terminal, and enclosing the interlocked coils in a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the interlocked coils;

disposing the coil assembly moveably relative to a magnet assembly by an electromagnetic force and thereby forming a linear motor; and

connecting the linear motor to the first stage as a driving force that moves the first object.

34. A method for making a device, comprising the steps of:

providing an irradiation apparatus including a first stage that supports a first object, an image being formed on the first object;

manufacturing a coil assembly by forming a number of individual coils, insulating the coils, pressing coils to be shaped, interlocking the shaped coils with non-pressed coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent shaped coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding non-pressed coil, attaching the interlocked coils to a header, electrically connecting the interlocked coils to a terminal, and enclosing the interlocked coils in a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the interlocked coils;

disposing the coil assembly moveably relative to a magnet assembly by an electromagnetic force and thereby forming a linear motor;

connecting the linear motor to the first stage as a driving force that moves the first object; and

irradiating the first object with radiation to form the image on the device.

35. A method for making an exposure apparatus that forms an image on an object, comprising the steps of:

providing an irradiation apparatus that irradiates the object supported by a stage with radiation to form the image on the object;

manufacturing a coil assembly by forming a number of individual coils, insulating the coils, pressing coils to be shaped, interlocking the shaped coils with non-pressed coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent shaped coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding non-pressed coil, attaching the interlocked coils to a header, electrically connecting the interlocked coils to a terminal, and enclosing the interlocked coils in a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the interlocked coils;

disposing the coil assembly moveably relative to a magnet assembly by an electromagnetic force and thereby forming a linear motor; and

connecting the linear motor to the stage as a driving force that moves the object.

36. A method for making a device, comprising the steps of:

providing an irradiation apparatus including a stage that supports the device;

manufacturing a coil assembly by forming a number of individual coils, insulating the coils, pressing coils to be shaped, interlocking the shaped coils with non-pressed coils such that two adjacent vertical sides of adjacent shaped coils are positioned within an aperture of a corresponding non-pressed coil, attaching the interlocked coils to a header, electrically connecting the interlocked coils to a terminal, and enclosing the interlocked coils in a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the interlocked coils;

disposing the coil assembly moveably relative to a magnet assembly by an electromagnetic force and thereby forming a linear motor;

connecting the linear motor to the stage as a driving force that moves the device; and

irradiating the device with radiation to form an image on the device.

37. An electric linear motor comprising:

a magnet assembly comprising a plurality of magnets fixed to a base member, each magnet comprising two opposing magnetic surfaces having opposite magnetic poles, said plurality of magnets being attached to said base member such that said opposing magnetic surfaces are aligned and alternate in magnetic polarity along said base member; and

a coil assembly disposed around at least a portion of said magnet assembly, said coil assembly comprising two walls joined to a header, each of said two walls comprising a plurality of juxtaposed flat coils, each of said two walls further comprising a plurality of bent coils overlapping with said flat coils such that a vertical side of each bent coil is positioned within an aperture of each flat coil,

wherein the coil assembly further comprises a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and enclosing one of said walls, each of said cooling canisters having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the electric linear motor, and

wherein each of said canisters further encloses a spacer block, said spacer block configured such that when said spacer block is positioned in said canister, said spacer block and said wall form a coolant gap therebetween.

38. An exposure apparatus comprising:

a source of a beam, said beam projecting light through a reticle;

an optical system into which said beam is directed for focusing said beam onto a substrate;

a stage holding said substrate, said beam passing through said reticle onto said substrate; and

an electric motor which drives said stage in a direction perpendicular to an axis of said beam, said electric motor including a coil assembly disposed around at least a portion of a magnet assembly, said coil assembly comprising two walls joined to a header, each of said two walls comprising a plurality of juxtaposed flat coils, each of said two walls further comprising a plurality of bent coils overlapping with said flat coils such that a vertical side of each bent coil is positioned within an aperture of each flat coil,

wherein the coil assembly further comprises a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and enclosing one of said walls, each of said cooling canisters having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the electric linear motor, and

wherein each of said canisters further encloses a spacer block, said spacer block configured such that when said spacer block is positioned in said canister, said spacer block and said wall form a coolant gap therebetween.

39. An armature for use in an electric motor, said armature comprising:

a coil assembly comprising two walls joined to a header, each of said two walls comprising a plurality of juxtaposed flat coils, each of said two walls further comprising a plurality of bent coils overlapping with said flat coils such that a vertical side of each bent coil is positioned within an aperture of each flat coil,

wherein the coil assembly further comprises a pair of cooling canisters, each of said cooling canisters being attached to said header and enclosing one of said walls, each of said cooling canisters having at least one fluid ingress port and at least one fluid egress port to allow a cooling fluid to flow through said canister thereby removing heat from the electric linear motor, and

wherein each of said canisters further encloses a spacer block, said spacer block configured such that when said spacer block is positioned in said canister, said spacer block and said wall form a coolant gap therebetween.