Alignment stage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9548638-B2
Application number	US-201113988430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2011
Priority date	Nov 29, 2010
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

An alignment stage including: a base plate; one or more X direction thrust generation guide mechanisms for generating thrust and performing guidance in the direction of a straight line X; a pair of lower plates disposed above the X direction thrust generation guide mechanisms; a pair of upper plates provided corresponding to the lower plates, respectively; a pair of rotatable bearings disposed between the lower plates and the upper plates; one or more Y direction thrust generation guide mechanisms for generating thrust and performing guidance in the direction of a straight line Y perpendicular to the straight line X; and a table plate disposed above the Y direction thrust generation guide mechanisms. With this configuration, it is possible for the alignment stage to be compact and easy to assemble.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An alignment stage, comprising:
a base plate fixed to a base;
one or more X direction thrust generation guide mechanisms disposed on the base plate, and configured to generate thrust and to perform guidance in a direction of a straight line X;
a pair of lower plates disposed above the X direction thrust generation guide mechanisms, and configured to horizontally move in the direction of a straight line X;
a pair of upper plates provided corresponding to the pair of lower plates, respectively;
a pair of rotatable bearings configured to realize relative free movement of the upper plates with respect to the lower plates in a direction of rotation θ by being disposed between respective upper and lower plates of the pair of lower plates and of the pair of upper plates;
one or more Y direction thrust generation guide mechanisms disposed above at least one of the pair of upper plates, configured to generate thrust and to perform guidance in a direction of a straight line Y perpendicular to the direction of a straight line X, a plurality of the Y direction thrust generation guide mechanisms being provided when one of the X direction thrust generation guide mechanisms is provided, and one or more Y direction thrust generation guide mechanism being provided when a plurality of the X direction thrust generation guide mechanisms is provided; and
a table plate configured to move a mounted object placed on an upper surface in the direction of a straight line X, in the direction of a straight line Y, and in the direction of rotation θ by being disposed above the Y direction thrust generation guide mechanism, and
in an initial state, the base plate and the table plate are completely overlapped and arranged so that a deviation amount is not caused in a top view.

2. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
a gap is provided between plates of at least one of the pair of lower plates and the pair of upper plates.

3. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the X direction thrust generation guide mechanism and the Y direction thrust generation guide mechanism is configured by combining
one linear driving source serving as a thrust generation source, and
two linear guide units serving as a guide mechanism, and further,
the two linear guide units are arranged to interpose the one linear driving source from both sides.

4. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
the X direction thrust generation guide mechanisms are disposed below the pair of lower plates, respectively.

5. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
the X direction thrust generation guide mechanism is disposed only below one of the pair of lower plates, and
only a linear guide unit serving as a guide mechanism is disposed below the other of the pair of lower plates.

6. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
the Y direction thrust generation guide mechanism is disposed only above one of the pair of upper plates, and
only a linear guide unit serving as a guide mechanism is disposed above the other of the pair of upper plates.

7. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
the Y direction thrust generation guide mechanisms are disposed above the pair of upper plates, respectively.

8. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
the linear driving source is a linear motor, and a magnetic shielding for shielding an effect of a magnetic field generated from the linear motor is provided.

9. The alignment stage according to claim 1 , wherein
the linear driving source is a linear motor including a magnet member and a coil member, and
two sets of a propulsive force generation source configured from the magnet member and the coil member are arranged on both of right and left directions with respect to a direction of propulsive force.

Assignees

• Komatsu Takafumi
• Fukushima Katsuya
• Thk Co Ltd

Inventors

• Komatsu Takafumi
• Fukushima Katsuya

Classifications

• B23Q1/44 Primary

  using particular mechanisms (B23Q1/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K2201/18

  Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom · CPC title

• H02K41/031

  of the permanent magnet type · CPC title

• B23Q1/623

  followed perpendicularly by a single rotating pair · CPC title

• H02K41/03

  Synchronous motors; Motors moving step by step; Reluctance motors (H02K41/035 takes precedence) · CPC title