Aligning apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

• US 20050194843A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Korenaga, Nobushige
• Granted Patent: US 7,075,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/12.05
• 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 16/02 Machines with one stator and two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/47 Air-gap windings, i.e. iron-free windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/031 of the permanent magnet type

Abstract

A aligning apparatus includes a moving member, a magnetic member arranged vertically above the moving member, a stator unit which is arranged vertically below the moving member and has a plurality of coreless coils, a first magnet unit which is provided to the moving member and generates a force with the magnetic member, and a second magnet unit which is provided to the moving member and generates a force with the stator unit. High accurate aligning can be performed while suppressing coil heat generation.

Claims

1. A aligning apparatus comprising:

a moving member;

a magnetic member arranged vertically above said moving member;

a stator unit which is arranged vertically below said moving member and has a plurality of coreless coils;

a first magnet unit which is provided to said moving member and generates a force with said magnetic member; and

a second magnet unit which is provided to said moving member and generates a force with said stator unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stator unit is formed of a nonmagnetic member.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the force generated between said first magnet unit and magnetic member balances with a weight of said moving member.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said moving member can be driven at least vertically by the force generated between said stator and second magnet unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said moving member can be driven in 6-axis directions.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the 6-axis directions include X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions and rotational directions about X-, Y-, and Z-axes, and

said second magnet unit has a plurality of permanent magnets arranged asymmetrically with respect to a straight line parallel to the X-axis direction and/or the Y-axis direction.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic member has a stacked layer structure obtained by stacking thin plates.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein attraction preventing means is provided between said first magnet unit and magnetic member for preventing said first magnet unit and magnetic member from attracting each other.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said attraction preventing means covers said magnetic member.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stator unit has a coil layer obtained by arraying a plurality of substantially elliptic coils, each having a straight portion in a predetermined direction, in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said coil layer of said stator unit includes a plurality of coil layers arrayed in a direction of weight thereof, at least one of said plurality of coil layers having a substantially elliptic coil having a straight portion in a direction different from that of any other remaining one of said coil layers.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, which has a partition to cover said plurality of coreless coils of said stator unit, wherein a temperature adjusting fluid is circulated inside said partition.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, which has a partition to cover said plurality of coreless coils of said stator unit, wherein a heat conductive material fills inside said partition.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, which has at least two moving members.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic member comprises a plate-like member having an opening, and exhausts a space above the opening.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said aligning apparatus is used in a vacuum atmosphere, and

said magnetic member comprises a plate-like member having an opening,

said plate-like member serving as differential exhaust means for making a difference between a vacuum degree in a space above the opening and a vacuum degree in the vicinity of said moving member.

17. An exposure apparatus for exposing a pattern of an original onto a substrate, wherein a aligning apparatus according to claim 1 is used as a aligning apparatus which aligns the original and/or substrate.

18. A device manufacturing method which manufactures a device by using an exposure apparatus according to claim 17 in at least part of a manufacturing process.

20. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said stator unit has six coil layers.

19. A aligning apparatus comprising:

two moving members which mount substrates thereon;

a stator unit which is formed of a nonmagnetic member and opposes said two moving members;

a first magnet unit arranged on a surface of each of said two moving members which is opposite to said stator unit; and

a magnetic member which faces said first magnet unit,

said stator unit including;

a coil layer obtained by arraying a plurality of sets, each obtained by arraying two substantially elliptic coils each having a straight portion in a first direction, in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a coil layer having a portion obtained by arraying a plurality of sets, each obtained by arraying two substantially elliptic coils each having a straight portion in the second direction, in the first direction.

21. A aligning apparatus comprising:

a moving member having a magnet;

a driving portion which drives said moving member; and

a magnetic member which faces one surface of said moving member and generates an attracting force with said magnet to support a weight of said moving member,

said moving member and magnetic member forming a closed magnetic circuit.