| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080252151 | TWO DEGREE OF FREEDOM MOVERS WITH OVERLAPPING COILS | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080275661 | On-machine methods for identifying and compensating force-ripple and side-forces produced by actuators on a multiple-axis stage - Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for identifying force-ripple and/or side-forces in actuators used for moving a multiple-axis stage. The identified force-ripple and/or side-forces can be mapped, and maps of corresponding position-dependent compensation ratios useful for correcting same are obtained. The methods are especially useful for stages providing motion in at least one degree of freedom using multiple (redundant) actuators. In an exemplary method a stage member is displaced, using at least one selected actuator, multiple times over a set distance in the range of motion of the subject actuator(s). Each displacement has a predetermined trajectory and respective starting point in the range. For each displacement, respective section force-command(s) are extracted and normalized to a reference section force-command to define a section compensation-ratio. Multiple section compensation-ratios are assembled, as functions of displacement in the range, to provide a map of compensation ratios for the actuator(s) throughout the range. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080285003 | Linear motor driven automatic reticle blind - A reticle blind which is capable of being opened and closed at a relatively high speed and which does not cause mechanical disturbances or reaction forces. The reticle blind includes two reticle blind assemblies designed to cooperate with one another to control the passing of a laser beam of an exposure system onto a work piece, such as a semiconductor wafer or flat panel display. Each reticle blind assembly includes a linear motor having a mover and a blind configured to be positioned between a first position and a second position by the mover. Each reticle blind assembly also includes a counter mass assembly including a portion of a guide mechanism having at least one guide bar and a stator of the linear motor. The stator of the linear motor and the guide bar are integrated to form the counter mass which is configured to absorb reaction forces that are created when the blind is moved. In various embodiments, the blinds can be configured to operate in the vertical or horizontal orientation. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080285004 | Monolithic, Non-Contact Six Degree-of-Freedom Stage Apparatus - Methods and apparatus for controlling a stage assembly in up to six degrees of freedom using actuators which each allow for forces to be generated in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a stage apparatus includes a stage assembly and a first stator arrangement. The stage assembly includes a first magnet arrangement of an actuator assembly, and the first stator arrangement is part of the actuator assembly. The first magnet arrangement cooperates with the first stator arrangement to allow the stage assembly to move relative to a first horizontal axis as well as a vertical axis. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20080285005 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING AND MAPPING A SIDEFORCE FOR A MOVER | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090033895 | Lithography apparatus with flexibly supported optical system - A lithography apparatus includes a projection optical system that projects an image of a pattern, a first support member, a second support member that is flexibly coupled to the first support member by a first flexible coupling device such that the second support member is suspended from the first support member, and a second flexible coupling device that flexibly couples the projection optical system to the second support structure. This arrangement is capable of improving the vibration characteristics of the projection optical system. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090263747 | THREE AXIS LINEAR ACTUATOR | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090303454 | EXPOSURE APPARATUS WITH A SCANNING ILLUMINATION BEAM - An exposure apparatus ( | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090305171 | APPARATUS FOR SCANNING SITES ON A WAFER ALONG A SHORT DIMENSION OF THE SITES - An exposure apparatus ( | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090310115 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EXPOSING ADJACENT SITES ON A SUBSTRATE - An exposure apparatus ( | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100053588 | Substrate Stage movement patterns for high throughput While Imaging a Reticle to a pair of Imaging Locations - A new and useful optical imaging process is provided for imaging of a plurality of substrates, in a manner that makes efficient use of an optical imaging system with the capability to image a single reticle to a pair of imaging locations, and addresses the types of substrate stage movement patterns to accomplish such imaging in an efficient and effective manner. At least three substrates are imaged by moving their substrate stages in patterns whereby (i) two of the substrates are completely imaged at respective imaging locations, (ii) a substrate on at least one of the three stages is partially imaged at one imaging location and then partially imaged at the other imaging location, and (iii) the movement of the stages of the three substrates is configured to avoid movement of the stages of the three substrates in paths that would cause interference between movement of any one substrate stage with movement of any of the other substrate stages. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100053738 | High NA Catadioptric Imaging Optics For Imaging A reticle to a Pair of Imaging Locations - New and useful concepts for an imaging optical system configured to simultaneously image a reticle to a pair of imaging locations are provided, where the imaging optics comprise a pair of arms, each of which includes catadioptric imaging optics. In addition, the imaging optics are preferably designed to image a reticle simultaneously to the pair of imaging locations, at a numerical aperture of at least 1.3, and without obscuration of light by the imaging optics. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100090545 | PLANAR MOTOR WITH WEDGE SHAPED MAGNETS AND DIAGONAL MAGNETIZATION DIRECTIONS - A planar motor ( | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100091257 | Optical Imaging System and Method for Imaging Up to Four Reticles to a Single Imaging Location - A catadioptric optical imaging system and method is provided, in which up to four (4) reticles are imaged to a single imaging location (e.g. for imaging substrates), in a manner designed to provide high throughput, with a relatively high resolution, and with substrates whose size may approach 450 mm. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100156198 | SHIELD LAYER PLUS REFRIGERATED BACKSIDE COOLING FOR PLANAR MOTORS - According to one aspect of the present invention, a motor arrangement includes at least one coil, a cover plate, and a shield layer. The at least one coil has a first side and a second side. The cover plate is positioned substantially over the first side of the at least one coil at a distance from the at least one coil. The shield layer is positioned between the first side of the at least one coil and the cover plate, and has a top surface. The top surface contacts the cover plate, and includes a liquid and a gas that form a mixture and cause the top surface to have a substantially constant temperature. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100167556 | THREE DEGREE OF MOVEMENT MOVER AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A THREE DEGREE OF MOVEMENT MOVER | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100237819 | Control Systems and Methods for Compensating for Effects of a Stage Motor - Embodiments of the invention compensate for one or more effects of a stage motor in a precision stage device. A feedforward module receives an input signal corresponding to the effect of the motor and generates a feedforward control signal that can be used to modify a motor control signal to compensate for the effect of the motor. In some embodiments, a control system is provided to compensate for a back-electromotive force generated by a motor, while in other embodiments, a control system may compensate for an inductive effect of a motor. Embodiments of the invention may be useful in precision stage devices, for example, lithography devices such as steppers and scanners. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100238425 | Coil Variations for an Oval Coil Planar Motor - Methods and apparatus for providing an efficient oval coil planar motor are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an electromagnetic actuator includes at least a first coil group, at least a second coil group, and a magnet array. The first coil group includes at least a first coil that is of an elongated toroidal shape. The first coil has a first coil length and a first coil width that is approximately equal to a multiple of three times the first coil width. The second coil group includes at least a second coil that is of an elongated toroidal shape. The second coil has a second coil width and a second coil length that is approximately equal to a multiple of three times the second coil width. The second coil group is approximately adjacent to the first coil group. The magnet array is configured to cooperate with the first and second coil groups, and includes a plurality of magnets. The magnets have an associated magnet pitch, and the first coil width and the second coil width are a function of the magnet pitch. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100245797 | Substrate Handling Structure - A substrate handling structure is provided that is particularly useful with an imaging optical system that images a single reticle to a pair of imaging locations. The principles of the present invention provide substrate handling structures with new and useful metrology structures, and new and useful ways of moving substrates in relation to the imaging locations, that are designed to provide benefits in providing information as to the substrate position as a substrate is being imaged, while reducing the size of the support structure. These features are believed to be important as imaging of substrates in the 450 mm diameter range is developing. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100284119 | Compensating Temperature Effects in Magnetic Actuators - Methods and apparatus for adjusting the amount of current provided to a magnetic actuator to compensate for a temperature change associated with the magnetic actuator are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus includes an actuator, which has at least one magnet and an associated force constant. The apparatus also includes a temperature sensing arrangement and a control arrangement, the temperature sensing arrangement being arranged to determine or measure a temperature of the magnet. The control arrangement adjusts the current provided to the actuator based on the temperature of the magnet. The current is adjusted to maintain a correct or desired force in light of temperature-induced variations to a force constant. | 11-11-2010 |
