Patent · US Expired

Positioning device with a force actuator system for compensating center-of-gravity displacements, and lithographic device provided with such a positioning device

US5844664A · kind A · utility

18Cited by
7References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 25, 1996
Grant dateDec 1, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 25, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F7/709
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A positioning device (21, 31) with a drive unit (147, 149, 151; 69, 71) with which an object table (1, 5) is displaceable over a guide (141, 65) which is fastened to a frame (45) of the positioning device (21, 31). The positioning device (21, 31) includes a force actuator system (205) which exerts on the frame (45) a compensation force which has a moment about a reference point (P) of the frame (45) whose value is equal to a value of a moment of a force of gravity acting on the object table (1, 5) about the reference point (P), and whose direction is opposed to a direction of the moment of said force of gravity. The use of the force actuator system (205) prevents the frame (45) from vibrating or being elastically deformed when a point of application on the frame (45) of the force of gravity is displaced relative to the frame (45) during a displacement of the object table (1,5). The accuracy with which the object table (1, 5) can be positioned relative to the guide (141, 65) by the drive unit (147, 149, 151; 69, 71) is accordingly not adversely affected by such vibrations or deformations. The positioning device (21, 31) is used in a lithographic device for the manufacture of integra…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.