Scanner and scanning probe microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10884022-B2
Application number	US-201716476426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2017
Priority date	Jan 10, 2017
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

A scanner comprising: an outer frame; a first inner frame disposed inside the outer frame; a wide range Y actuator for moving the first inner frame relative to the outer frame in the Y direction; a second inner frame disposed inside the first inner frame; a wide range X actuator for moving the second inner frame relative to the first inner frame in the X direction orthogonal to the Y direction; a third inner frame disposed inside the second inner frame; a narrow range Y actuator for moving the third inner frame relative to the second inner frame in the Y direction; a movable foundation disposed inside the third inner frame; and a narrow range X actuator for moving the movable foundation relative to the third inner frame in the X direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A scanner comprising:
an outer frame;
a first inner frame disposed inside the outer frame;
a wide range Y actuator for moving the first inner frame relative to the outer frame in the Y direction;
a second inner frame disposed inside the first inner frame;
a wide range X actuator for moving the second inner frame relative to the first inner frame in an X direction orthogonal to the Y direction;
a third inner frame disposed inside the second inner frame;
a narrow range Y actuator for moving the third inner frame relative to the second inner frame in the Y direction;
a movable base disposed inside the third inner frame; and
a narrow range X actuator for moving the movable base relatively to the third inner frame in the X direction,
wherein:
the wide range Y actuator is a piezoelectric element expandable and contractible in the Y direction in response to a control signal, and is disposed between an inner side surface of the outer frame and an outer side surface of the first inner frame;
the wide range X actuator is a piezoelectric element expandable and contractible in the X direction in response to a control signal, and is disposed so that one end of the wide range X actuator abuts on the approximate center in the Y direction on the inner side surface of the outer frame or on the approximate center in the Y direction on an inner side surface of the first inner frame, and the other end abuts the approximate center in the Y direction on an outer side surface of the second inner frame; and
the narrow range Y actuator is a piezoelectric element expandable and contractible in the Y direction in response to a control signal, and is disposed so that one end of the narrow range Y actuator abuts on the approximate center in X direction on an inner side surface of the second inner frame, and the other end abuts the approximate center in the X direction on an outer side surface of the third inner frame.

2. The scanner according to claim 1 , further comprising a stage supported by the movable base.

3. The scanner according to claim 2 , wherein:
the range in which the stage can be moved by the wide range X actuator is wider than the range in which the stage can be moved by the narrow range X actuator; and
the range in which the stage can be moved by the wide range Y actuator is wider than the range in which the stage can be moved by the narrow range Y actuator.

4. The scanner according to claim 2 , wherein the stage is supported on the movable base via a Z actuator that relatively moves the stage in the Z direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction.

5. The scanner according to claim 4 , wherein a counter balance having a weight substantially equal to the total weight of the Z actuator and the stage is mounted on a surface of the movable base opposite to a surface on which the stage is supported via the Z actuator.

6. The scanner according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first inner frame is connected to the outer frame via a plurality of plate springs whose plate surfaces are substantially orthogonal to the Y direction;
the second inner frame is connected to the first inner frame via a plurality of plate springs whose plate surfaces are substantially orthogonal to the X direction;
the third inner frame is connected to the second inner frame via a plurality of plate springs whose plate surfaces are substantially orthogonal to the Y direction; and
the movable base is connected to the third inner frame via a plurality of plate springs whose plate surfaces are substantially orthogonal to the X direction.

7. The scanner according to claim 1 , further comprises a movable base counterpart having a weight substantially equal to that of the movable base disposed inside third inner frame,
wherein:
the movable base and the movable base counterpart are each connected to the third inner frame via a plurality of plate springs whose plate surfaces are substantially orthogonal to the X direction; and
the narrow range X actuator is a piezoelectric element expandable and contractible in the X direction in response to a control signal, and is disposed between the movable base and the movable base counterpart, and the narrow range X actuator does not contact with the third inner frame.

8. The scanner according to claim 7 , wherein:
the third inner frame is a substantially rectangular frame body comprising side wall portions formed of two flat plates parallel to the X-Z plane, and connection portions formed of two flat plates parallel to the Y-Z plane and connecting the two side wall portions; and
the plate spring is provided to connect the inner side surfaces of the two side walls in parallel with the Y-Z plane.

9. The scanner according to claim 1 , wherein the probe is supported by the movable base.

10. The scanner according to claim 4 , further comprises a wide range Z actuator for moving the outer frame relative to a support base in the Z direction,
wherein the movable range by the wide range Z actuator is wider than the movable range by the Z actuator.

11. A scanning probe microscope comprising the scanner of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ Osaka

Inventors

• Yamashita Hayato
• Abe Masayuki

Classifications

• H02N2/028

  along multiple or arbitrary translation directions, e.g. XYZ stages · CPC title

• G01Q10/02 Primary

  Coarse scanning or positioning · CPC title

• G01Q10/04

  Fine scanning or positioning · CPC title