Dual-stage exchange system for lithographic apparatus
US8860927B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 2, 2010 |
| Grant date | Oct 14, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 24, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG03F7/70733
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A dual-stage exchange system for a lithographic apparatus comprises a silicon chip stage (13) operating in an exposure workstation (3) and a silicon chip (14) stage operating in a pre-processing workstation (4). The two silicon chip stages (13, 14) are provided on the same base stage (1), and suspended on an upper surface (2) of the base stage by air bearings. The two silicon chip stages (13, 14) can move along guide rails (15, 16) in the Y direction. One end of each guide rail (15, 16) is connected to a main driving unit (11, 12), and the other end of each guide rail (15, 16) is butt-jointed with an X-direction single-freedom auxiliary driving unit (7, 8). The silicon chip stages (13, 14) are driven by the single-freedom auxiliary driving units (7, 8) cooperated with the main driving units (11, 12) to move along the X direction. The single-freedom auxiliary driving units (7, 8) can be separated from or precisely butt-jointed with the Y-direction guide rails (15, 16), thereby achieving the position exchange of the two silicon chip stages (13, 14).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.