Mask alignment apparatus
US4544311A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 15, 1983 |
| Grant date | Oct 1, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2003 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T409/30896
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A mask aligner (10) includes a ring member (11) having an aperture (13) and a series of internal pneumatic cylinders (14-17) having rolling bearing surfaces (19) at the ends of piston rod shafts (18) wherein when a mask (20) is positioned in the aperture, one bearing surface is actuated inwardly to move the mask laterally into engagement with others of said bearing surfaces to rigidly hold and coarse align the mask. Fine accurate alignment in the x, y and .phi. directions are provided by a spaced series of linear motors (40, 41, 42) and a linkage (45) extending between the motor shaft (43) and a rigid post on a fixed support arm (12), the linkage being of sufficient flexibility to bend when the linear motor moves its shaft (43) inwardly to shorten the span between the motor(s) and the rigid post, and of sufficient stiffness to act as a push rod when the linear motor moves its shaft outwardly to lengthen the span between the motor(s) and the rigid post.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.