Apparatus to control displacement of a body spaced-apart from a surface

• US 7,098,572 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2004
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Sreenivasan, Sidlgata V., Johnson, Stephen C., Choi, Byung Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US10/806,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20040251775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 310/311, 310/328, 355/72, 118/500, 250/491.1, 318/34, 438/1
• US Class Current: 310/311
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0002 Lithographic processes using patterning methods other than those involving the exposure to radiation, e.g. by stamping
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/00 Registration or positioning of originals, masks, frames, photographic sheets or textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. automatically G03F7/22 takes precedence; preparation of photographic masks G03F1/00; within photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00

Abstract

An apparatus to control displacement of a body spaced-apart from a surface includes a flexure system having a first flexure member defining a first axis of rotation and a second flexure member defining a second axis of rotation. A body is coupled to the flexure system to move about a plurality of axes. An actuation system is coupled to the flexure system to selectively constrain movement of the body along a subset of the plurality of axes.

Claims

1. An apparatus to control displacement of a body spaced-apart from a surface, said apparatus comprising:

a flexure system having first and second flexure members coupled together, said flexure system having a plurality of joints spaced-apart from a pivot point;

a body coupled to said flexure system to move with respect to a plurality of axes defined by said flexure system; and

an actuation system coupled to said flexure system to cause movement of said flexure system, with said flexure system selectively constraining movement of said body along a subset of said plurality of axes, said subset including a first axis extending orthogonal to a second axis, with said pivot point being defined by an intersection of said first axis and said second axis.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuation system and said flexure system provide resistance to movement of said body with respect to said subset, while allowing relatively free movement with respect to axes outside of said subset.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said subset is coplanar with said body.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said subset of axes includes two orthogonal axes.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said actuation system and said flexure system provide resistance to translational displacement of said body with respect to said subset, while allowing relatively free translational displacement with respect to axes outside of said subset, and resistance to rotational displacement of said body with respect to a subgroup of said plurality of axes, while allowing relatively free rotational displacement of said body with respect to axes outside of said subgroup.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said subset of axes includes two substantially orthogonal axes and said subgroup includes an additional axis extending substantially orthogonally to said two orthogonal axes.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said subgroup extends normal to a surface of said body.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said first and second flexure members each includes a frame, a pair of spaced-apart braces, a first flexure arm pivotally connected between said frame and one of said pair of spaced-apart braces, and a second flexure arm pivotally connected between said frame and one of said pair of spaced-apart braces disposed opposite to said first flexure arm.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including a flexure ring, a base plate and a force sensor connected between said flexure ring and said base plate with said flexure system being connected to said flexure ring.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said actuation system further includes a plurality of actuators to control displacement of said body.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said plurality of joints comprises eight joints.

12. An apparatus to control displacement of a body spaced-apart from a surface, said apparatus comprising:

a flexure system having first and second flexure members coupled together, said flexure system having a plurality of joints spaced-apart from a pivot point;

a body coupled to said flexure system to move with respect to a plurality of axes defined by said flexure system; and

an actuation system, with said flexure system being coupled thereto to cause movement of said body while selectively constraining translational displacement, of said body, with respect to a subset of said plurality of axes and constraining rotational displacement, of said body, with respect to a subgroup of said plurality of axes, said subset including a first axis extending orthogonal to a second axis, with said pivot point being defined by an intersection of said first axis and said second axis.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein each of the axes associated with said subset differs from each of the axes associated with said subgroup.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said actuation system and said flexure system further provide resistance to translational displacement of said body with respect to said subset, while allowing relatively free translational displacement with respect to axes outside of said subset, and resistance to rotational displacement of said body with respect to said subgroup, while allowing relatively free rotational displacement of said body with respect to axes outside of said subgroup.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the axes of said subset are coplanar with said body.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said subset of axes includes two substantially orthogonal axes.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said subset of axes includes two substantially orthogonal axes and said subgroup includes an additional axis extending substantially orthogonally to said two substantially orthogonal axes.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said subgroup extends normal to a surface of said body.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said flexure system further includes first and second flexure members each having a frame, a pair of spaced-apart braces, a first flexure arm pivotally connected between said frame and one of said pair of spaced-apart braces, and a second flexure arm pivotally connected between said frame and one of said pair of spaced-apart braces disposed opposite to said first flexure arm.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 further including a flexure ring, a base plate and a force sensor connected between said flexure ring and said base plate with said first and second flexure members being connected to said flexure ring.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein said actuation system further includes a plurality of actuators connected to said base plate.

22. An apparatus to control displacement of a body spaced-apart from a surface, said apparatus comprising:

a flexure system having first and second flexure members with said first and second flexure members each including a frame, a pair of spaced-apart braces, a first flexure arm pivotally connected between said frame and one of said pair of spaced-apart braces, and a second flexure arm pivotally connected between said frame and one of said pair of spaced-apart braces disposed opposite to said first flexure arm;

a body coupled to said flexure system to move with respect to a plurality of axes defined by said flexure system; and

an actuation system coupled to said flexure system to cause movement of said body, with said flexure system selectively constraining both translational displacement, of said body, with respect to a subset of said plurality of axes, and rotational displacement, of said body, with respect to a subgroup of said plurality of axes with said subset of axes including two substantially orthogonal axes and said subgroup including an additional axis extending substantially orthogonally to said two substantially orthogonal axes.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein said actuation system and said flexure system provide resistance to translational displacement of said body with respect to said subset, while allowing relatively free translational displacement with respect to axes outside of said subset, and resistance to rotational displacement of said body with respect to a said subgroup, while allowing relatively free rotational displacement of said body with respect to axes outside of said subgroup.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein the axes of said subset are coplanar with said body.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein the axes associated with said subgroup extend normal to a surface of said body.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein each of the axes associated with said subset differs from each of the axes associated with said subgroup.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 22 further including a flexure ring, a base plate and a force sensor connected between said flexure ring and said base plate with said first and second flexure members being connected to said flexure ring.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 27 wherein said actuation system further includes a plurality of actuators connected to said base plate.