Vibration-attenuation devices having low lateral stiffness, and exposure apparatus comprising same
US6987559B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 15, 2002 |
| Grant date | Jan 17, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 28, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/709
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Devices are disclosed for placement between first and second masses for attenuating transmission of motions from one of the masses to the other. A general embodiment of such a device includes a fluid isolator and a lateral fluid bearing situated along a support axis. The fluid isolator includes a housing defining an isolator chamber pressurized with a gas at pressure Pisol. The fluid isolator is situated such that motion of the masses relative to each other along the support axis is at the fluid isolator, and lateral motion is at the lateral fluid bearing. The lateral fluid bearing includes first and second bearing surfaces that are transverse to the support axis. At least one such surface defines three channels: pressure channel, atmospheric pressure channel, and vacuum channel. In order from the isolator chamber, the pressure channel (at pressure PXYbearing≈Pisol) is first, the atmospheric pressure channel (at pressure Patm) is second, and the vacuum channel (at pressure Pvac) is third. From this general embodiment, a number of configurations are possible.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.