Magnetic guiding apparatus

• US 7,345,865 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tosiya, Asano
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOANG, ANN THI
• Application Number:
  US10/830,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20040227474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 361/267
• US Class Current: 361/267
• 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 41/03 Synchronous motors; Motors moving step by step; Reluctance motors H02K41/035 takes precedence

Abstract

A magnetic guiding apparatus guides a moving member by attracting a target with electromagnets provided on the moving member. The magnetic guiding apparatus has a magnetic-flux detection device movable along the target to detect magnetic flux of the target and a position measuring unit measures the position of the magnetic-flux detection device. A control unit detects the position of magnetic flux in the target from the position information obtained by the position measuring unit and the magnetic-flux information obtained from the magnetic-flux detection device and performs demagnetization at the detected magnetic flux position.

Claims

1. A magnetic guiding apparatus for guiding a moving member along a length of a sliding member by attracting a target disposed along the length of the sliding member by electromagnets provided on the moving member, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of magnetic-flux detection means, on the guided moving member, for detecting a magnetic flux along the length of the target during movement of the moving member along the length of the sliding member;

position measuring means for measuring a position of said plurality of magnetic-flux detection means on the guided moving member along the length of the sliding member;

detection means for detecting a position of the magnetic flux peak along the length of the target, based on output of said plurality of magnetic-flux detection means and said position measuring means; and

demagnetization means for performing demagnetization at the detected position of the magnetic flux peak.

2. A magnetic guiding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storing means for storing the magnetic flux in the target corresponding to the position measured by said position measuring means.

3. A magnetic guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic-flux detection means is mounted on the moving member.

4. A magnetic guiding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein demagnetization is performed by moving the electromagnets to the position of the magnetic flux and providing the electromagnets with a current signal by said demagnetization means.

5. A magnetic guiding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the electromagnets is used as said magnetic-flux detection means.

6. A stage apparatus comprising:

a magnetic guiding apparatus according to claim 1.

7. An exposure apparatus comprising the stage apparatus of claim 6 for positioning at least one of a substrate and an original.

8. A device manufacturing method comprising:

providing an exposure apparatus according to claim 7,

exposing a substrate to a pattern using the exposure apparatus, and

developing the exposed substrate to manufacture the device.

9. A stage apparatus comprising:

a target having a length extending along a direction;

a moving member guided by said target and movable along the length of said target;

electromagnets provided on said moving member and producing a force between said target and said electromagnets;

a plurality of magnetic flux detection means provided on the moving member for detecting a magnetic flux during movement of the moving member along the length of said target;

position measuring means for measuring a position of the magnetic flux detecting means on said moving member along the length of the target; and

detection means for detecting a position of the magnetic flux peak along the length of the target, based on output of said plurality of magnetic-flux detection means and said position measuring means.

10. A stage apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising demagnetization means for reducing the magnetic flux at the detected position of the magnetic flux peak.

11. A stage apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a servo positioning system for positioning said moving member, wherein said servo positioning system is off during a reduction in the magnetic flux.

12. A demagnetization method for performing demagnetization of a magnetic guide apparatus, which has a moving member along a length of a target, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a magnetic flux along the length of the target by a plurality of magnetic flux detecting means on the moving member during movement of the moving member along the length of the target;

measuring position of the plurality of magnetic flux detecting means along the length of the target;

detecting a position of magnetic flux peak along the length of the target based on measured position and detected magnetic flux; and

performing demagnetization at the detected position of the magnetic flux peak.

13. A magnetic guiding apparatus for guiding a moving member along a length of a beam by attracting a target disposed along the length of the beam by electromagnets provided on the moving member, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality magnetic-flux detectors, on the guided moving member, configured to detect a magnetic flux along the length of the target during movement of the moving member along the length of the target;

a position measuring unit configured to measure a position of said plurality of magnetic-flux detectors along the length of the target;

detection means for detecting a position of a magnetic flux peak along the length of the target, based on output of said plurality of magnetic-flux detectors and said position measuring means; and

demagnetization means for performing demagnetization at the detected position of the magnetic flux peak.