Monolithic stage devices providing motion in six degrees of freedom

• US 7,728,462 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2007
• Issued: 06/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Mark, Phillips, Alton H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarroli; Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/804,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20080012431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12, 355/53, 355/72, 355/75
• US Class Current: 310/12.14
• 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

Abstract

Stage devices for various uses including use as a reticle stage or substrate stage in a microlithography system. An exemplary device includes a carrier and multiple linear EM actuators that couple the carrier monolithically to a base. The linear EM actuators collectively provide controlled movability of the carrier relative to the base in all six DOFs (X, Y, Z, θ_X, θ_Y, θ_Z). The multiple linear EM actuators comprise at least one multiple-DOF linear actuator but fewer than six linear EM actuators. For example, the stage device can have two two-DOF linear actuators providing respective motions of the carrier in the X, Y and Y, Z DOFs (and collectively in all six DOFs) or can have two two-DOE linear actuators providing motions of the carrier in the Y, Z, θ_X, θ_Y, and θ_Z DOFs and a one-DOF linear actuator providing motions in the X DOF.

Claims

1. A stage device, comprising:

a carrier;

multiple linear EM actuators coupling the carrier monolithically to a base and collectively providing controlled movability of the carrier relative to the base in all six DOFs (X, Y, Z, θ

_X, θ

_Y, θ

_Z); and

the multiple linear EM actuators comprising two multiple-DOF linear actuators providing movability of the carrier in at least four DOFs and at least a third linear EM actuator providing movability of the carrier in at least one DOF not provided by the two multiple-DOF linear actuators.

2. The stage device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one multiple-DOF linear actuator comprises a first actuator portion extending along a first side of the carrier and a second actuator portion extending along a second side of the carrier; and

the first and second actuator portions are operable substantially synchronously in at least one of the X, Y, and Z DOFs.

3. The stage device of claim 1, wherein:

the two multiple-DOF linear actuators comprise a first two-DOF linear motor and a second two-DOF linear motor collectively providing movability of the carrier in two of X, Y, and Z DOFs and at least two of θ

_X, θ

_Y, and θ

_Z DOFs; and

the at least a third linear EM actuator is a one- or two-DOF linear motor providing movability of the carrier in the remaining one of the X, Y, and Z DOF not provided by the first and second two-DOF linear motors.

4. The stage device of claim 1, wherein the multiple linear EM actuators comprise at least two two-DOF linear motors.

5. The stage device of claim 4, wherein:

the at least two two-DOF linear motors comprise a first linear motor providing movement of the carrier in X and Y DOFs and a second linear motor providing movement of the carrier in Y and Z DOFs, the Y DOF representing a long-stroke direction; and

the first and second linear motors collectively provide movements of the carrier relative to the base in θ

_X, θ

_Y, and θ

_Z DOFs.

6. The stage device of claim 1, wherein the carrier is a reticle carrier.

7. The stage device of claim 1, further comprising at least one reaction mass coupled to move, relative to the base, in coordination with the carrier in at least one of the X, Y, and Z DOFs.

8. The stage device of claim 7, wherein:

one of the X, Y, and Z DOFs is a long-stroke direction; and

the at least one reaction mass moves in the long-stroke direction.

9. A stage device, comprising:

a carrier having first and second opposing regions;

a first two-DOF linear motor coupled to the first region of the carrier and configured to provide, when actuated, motion of the carrier relative to a base in two of X, Y, and Z DOFs;

a second two-DOF linear motor coupled to the second region of the carrier and configured to provide, when actuated in coordination with the first two-DOF linear motor, motion of the carrier relative to the base in two of X, Y, and Z DOFs; and

a third linear motor coupled to the carrier and configured to provide, when actuated, motion of the carrier relative to the base at least in the remaining of the X, Y, and Z DOFs;

the first, second, and third linear motors being further configured to provide, when actuated in coordination with each other, motion of the carrier relative to the base in all six DOFs (X, Y, Z, θ

_X, θ

_Y, θ

_Z).

10. The stage device of claim 9, wherein the second two-DOF linear motor provides motion of the carrier relative to the base in the same two of the X, Y, and Z DOFs as the first two-DOF linear motor.

11. The stage device of claim 10, wherein:

the first and second two-DOF linear motors are configured to provide motion of the carrier in the Z and Y DOFs relative to the base; and

the third linear motor is a one-DOF linear motor configured to provide motion of the carrier in the X DOF relative to the base.

12. The stage device of claim 11, wherein:

the Y DOF represents a long-stroke direction; and

the Z and X DOFs represent short-stroke directions.

13. The stage device of claim 10, wherein the first and second two-DOF linear motors additionally provide the motion of the carrier in the θ

_X, θ

_Y, and θ

_Z DOFs relative to the base.

14. The stage device of claim 9, wherein:

the Y DOF represents a long-stroke direction of the carrier relative to the base; and

the X and Z DOFs represent respective short-stroke directions of the carrier relative to the base.

15. The stage device of claim 14, further comprising a reaction mass movable in the long-stroke direction in coordination with movement of the carrier relative to the base.

16. The stage device of claim 9, wherein the first and second two-DOF linear motors each have a moving-magnet configuration in which respective magnet arrays of the first and second two-DOF linear motors are coupled to the carrier.

17. The stage device of claim 16, wherein the third linear motor has a moving-magnet configuration.

18. The stage device of claim 9, wherein:

the carrier has an obverse surface and a reverse surface; and

the first and second two-DOF linear motors each have a respective obverse-surface portion disposed on the obverse surface and a respective reverse-surface portion disposed on the reverse surface.

19. The stage device of claim 9, wherein the carrier is at least partially magnetically levitated relative to the base.

20. The stage device of claim 19, further comprising a weight compensator including a first portion mounted to the carrier and a second portion coupled to the base, the first and second portions being magnetically interactive with each other.

21. The stage device of claim 9, wherein each of the first and second two-DOF linear motors is coupled to a respective reaction mass that moves relative to the base in response to actuation of the respective linear motor.

22. The stage device of claim 21, wherein:

the base comprises multiple guide members extending parallel to each other; and

each reaction mass is configured to slide on a respective guide member.

23. The stage device of claim 9, wherein the carrier is a reticle carrier.

24. The stage device of claim 9, wherein the carrier is monolithic relative to the base.

25. A reticle stage, comprising:

a monolithic reticle carrier having first and second opposing regions;

a first two-DOF linear motor coupled to the first region of the carrier and configured to provide, when actuated, motion of the carrier relative to a base in two of X, Y, and Z DOFs;

a second two-DOF linear motor coupled to the second region of the carrier and configured to provide, when actuated in coordination with the first two-DOF linear motor, motion of the carrier relative to the base in the two of the X, Y, and Z DOFs; and

a third linear motor coupled to the carrier and configured to provide, when actuated, motion of the carrier relative to the base in the remaining of the X, Y, and Z DOFs;

the first, second, and third linear motors being further configured to provide, in coordination with each other, motion of the carrier relative to the base in all six DOFs (X, Y, Z, θ

_X, θ

_Y, θ

_Z).

26. The reticle stage of claim 25, wherein:

the first and second two-DOF linear motors are configured to provide motion of the carrier in the Z and Y DOFs relative to the base, wherein the Y DOF represents a long-stroke direction and the Z DOF represents a short-stroke direction; and

the third linear motor is a one-DOF linear motor configured to provide motion of the carrier in the X DOF relative to the base.

27. The reticle stage of claim 26, wherein the X DOF represents a short-stroke direction.

28. The reticle stage of claim 26, further comprising at least one reaction mass movable in the long-stroke direction in coordination with movement of the carrier relative to the base.

29. The reticle stage of claim 28, wherein:

the base comprises at least one guide member; and

the at least one reaction mass is mounted to a respective guide member via at least one respective bearing.

30. The reticle stage of claim 29, wherein the bearing is a gas bearing.

31. The reticle stage of claim 25, wherein:

the first and second two-DOF linear motors each have a moving-magnet configuration in which respective magnet arrays of the first and second two-DOF linear motors are coupled to the carrier; and

the third linear motor has a moving-magnet configuration.

32. The reticle stage of claim 25, wherein:

the carrier has an obverse surface and a reverse surface; and

the first and second two-DOF linear motors each have a respective obverse-surface portion disposed on the obverse surface and a respective reverse-surface portion disposed on the reverse surface.

33. The reticle stage of claim 25, wherein the carrier is at least partially magnetically levitated relative to the base.

34. The reticle stage of claim 33, further comprising a weight compensator including a first portion mounted to the carrier and a second portion coupled to the base, the first and second portions being magnetically interactive with each other.

35. A microlithography system, comprising:

a substrate stage;

an optical system disposed relative to the substrate stage; and

a reticle stage, as recited in claim 25, disposed relative to the optical system.