JP2006084355A - Stage guide mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily performing processing and positioning of a guide rail following the enlargement of a stage device. <P>SOLUTION: The guide rail 30 of the stage guide mechanism 28 has a substantially square cross section and is mounted to a horizontal face so that four sides produce a tilt angle of 45°. An adjusting mechanism 36 comprises a pair of adjusting blocks 50 and 51 for pressing the lower tilt surfaces 30a and 30b of the guide rail 30 from both sides, a bolt 52 for fixation for fixing the adjusting block 50 to the upper face (horizontal face) of a base 14, an adjusting screw 54 for adjusting the mounting position by pressing the adjusting block 50 from a side, and a fastening bolt 56 that is screwed to the adjusting blocks 50 and 51 and fastens the adjusting blocks 50 and 51 to the guide rail 30. The adjustment can be performed by the adjusting mechanism 36 so as to eliminate the distortion of the guide rail 30 after installing the stage device 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a stage guide mechanism, and more particularly to a stage guide mechanism configured to minimize distortion of a guide rail that guides movement of a stage.

  For example, in a stage apparatus, a stage guide mechanism that guides the movement of the stage has a pair of guide rails made of stone fixed on the surface plate, and a slider of the stage that moves along the guide rail includes: There is a hydrostatic bearing pad facing the guide surface of the guide rail with a gap of several μ to several tens of μ, and the slider moves in a state of being lifted by the air pressure blown from the hydrostatic bearing pad to the guide surface. Is configured to do.

  In such a stage apparatus, as the substrate supplied as a workpiece increases in size, the entire apparatus increases in size, and the moving distance of the stage is being extended accordingly.

  With existing machining techniques, for example, a guide rail having a total length of about 1 m can be processed with a processing accuracy of several μm. However, if the total length of the guide rail becomes longer than 2m as the moving distance of the stage is extended, it becomes difficult to measure accurately, and the measurement error when measuring the straightness of the guide rail over the entire length. Therefore, it is difficult to manufacture a guide rail having straightness so as to clear the required accuracy, and a dimensional change due to thermal expansion affects distortion and twist of the guide rail.

  Also, if the pair of guide rails that guide the stage are not attached in parallel, the accuracy of straight movement of the stage will deteriorate, so the parallelism of the pair of guide rails must be managed with higher accuracy as the total length of the guide rails becomes longer. There is.

In order to reduce the influence of variations in straightness and parallelism between the pair of guide rails, for example, between a pair of sliders moving along the pair of guide rails and a beam connecting the pair of sliders. There is a structure in which the load on the guide rail is reduced by connecting them with a leaf spring (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-214280 A

  However, the stage apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a limit that can reduce the burden on the guide rail. For example, in the configuration in which the moving distance of the stage is extended to 2 m to 3 m, the plate It is difficult to ensure the static and dynamic stability of the stage only by the elastic deformation amount of the spring.

  Furthermore, when the upper surface accuracy of the surface plate cannot be secured due to an increase in the size of the stage device, or when the guide rail is configured to be supported on another frame instead of on the surface plate, it is necessary to obtain the level of the guide rail. Level adjustment may be difficult.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a stage guide mechanism that solves the above problems.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following features.

  The invention according to claim 1 has a guide rail arranged to extend in the moving direction, and in a stage guide mechanism for guiding a slider of a stage along the guide rail, the guide rail is pressed to An adjustment mechanism for adjusting the guide rail is provided.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the guide rail is formed with an inclined surface having a predetermined lower inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane.

  The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the adjustment mechanism includes a pressing member that presses the lower inclined surface of the guide rail from the side, and a fixing member that fixes the pressing member to a horizontal plane.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the pressing member has a contact surface having the same inclination angle as the lower inclined surface of the guide rail, and a sliding surface that is slidably attached to a horizontal plane. It is characterized by.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the adjusting mechanism slides the sliding surface from a side perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide rail to press the contact surface against the lower inclined surface of the guide rail. A moving mechanism is provided.

  The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the adjusting mechanism has a fastening means for fastening the lower inclined surface of the guide rail and the contact surface of the pressing member.

  The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the guide rail is fastened to a horizontal plane on which the sliding surface slides.

  The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the guide rail has two lower inclined surfaces, and the pressing members are arranged on both sides orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rail.

  The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that the guide rail has two upper inclined surfaces parallel to each of the two lower inclined surfaces.

  The invention according to claim 10 is characterized in that a hydrostatic bearing pad inclined at an angle facing the upper inclined surface of the guide rail is provided inside the slider.

  The invention according to claim 11 is a stage guide mechanism having a guide rail arranged so as to extend in the moving direction and guiding a slider of the stage along the guide rail, and is provided so as to be movable in the horizontal direction. A pressing member that presses at least two lower inclined surfaces of the guide rail from both sides, a fixing member that fixes the pressing member to a horizontal surface, and an inner side of the stage so as to face the upper surface of the guide rail And a hydrostatic bearing pad.

  A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the stage guide mechanism according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein a linear motor stator for driving the slider is provided on the guide rail, and the stator is disposed on the slider. A driving force is applied to the moving element of the provided linear motor.

  According to the present invention, since the adjusting mechanism for adjusting the distortion of the guide rail by pressing the guide rail is provided, the distortion of the guide rail can be adjusted at the installation location, or in the process of transporting to the installation site. Even when the guide rail is distorted, it is possible to adjust the guide rail so as not to be distorted after the stage device is installed. As a result, the required straightness can be obtained even when the entire length of the guide rail is increased due to the increase in size of the apparatus. Moreover, when attaching a pair of guide rail, while adjusting the distortion of a pair of guide rail, it can also adjust so that a parallelism may be maintained.

  In addition, according to the present invention, the adjustment mechanism includes the pressing member that presses the inclined surface of the guide rail from the side and the fixing member that fixes the pressing member to the horizontal surface. The distortion can be adjusted, and the adjustment work after the assembly is completed at the installation site can be performed efficiently.

  Further, according to the present invention, the guide rail has two lower inclined surfaces, and the pressing members are arranged on both sides orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rail, so that the guide rail can be adjusted in the vertical and horizontal directions. Can be easily performed.

  Further, according to the present invention, by providing a hydrostatic bearing pad inclined at an angle opposite to the upper inclined surface of the guide rail on the inner side of the slider, the guide rail having a square cross-sectional shape has an inclined surface of 45 degrees. The sliding stability of the slider can be ensured even if it is attached in the direction it has.

  Further, according to the present invention, the guide rail is provided with the stator of the linear motor that drives the slider, and the stator is configured to apply the driving force to the slider of the linear motor provided on the slider. In addition to realizing a compact configuration, it is also possible to increase the space efficiency on the base and reduce the width of the base. Further, since thrust can be applied to the center of the lower surface of the slider, the slider can be driven so as not to generate a rotational moment with respect to the center of gravity of the slider.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a stage apparatus to which an embodiment of a stage guide mechanism according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the first embodiment of the stage guide mechanism. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the first embodiment of the stage guide mechanism in an enlarged manner.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the stage apparatus 10 includes a base (surface plate) 14 whose overall length in the Y direction is set to 2 to 6 m as the substrate becomes larger, and a moving body that moves on the base 14. 16 and a pair of linear motors 20 that drive both ends of the moving body 16 in the Y direction. In order to facilitate transportation, the stage device 10 is assembled in a factory, tested and inspected, and then disassembled and transported to an installation site. Then, it is reassembled at the installation site, and inspection and adjustment operations are performed.

  The moving body 16 moves in the X direction on the Y stage 24, which is horizontally mounted in the X direction perpendicular to the moving direction so as to connect the slider 18 driven by the linear motor 20, and between the sliders 18. And an X stage 26.

  The slider 18 is guided by a stage guide mechanism 28 so as to be movable in the Y direction. The stage guide mechanism 28 includes a pair of guide rails 30 extending in the Y direction, and three hydrostatic bearing pads 32 to 34 provided inside the slider 18 so as to face the guide surfaces of the guide rails 30. And a plurality of adjusting mechanisms 36 for adjusting the distortion of the guide rail 30. The guide rail 30 is made of stone having a substantially square cross section, and is mounted on the base 14 with four sides inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the guide rail 30 can be processed relatively easily by machining.

  The adjustment mechanism 36 is configured to adjust the distortion of the guide rail 30 by pressing from both sides of the guide rail 30, and is provided at a plurality of locations (at least two locations) in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 30. Further, the adjustment mechanism 36 is appropriately attached to a place where distortion is caused by measuring the straightness and parallelism of the guide rail 30 at the place of installation.

  The slider 18 is attached with a support portion 40 that supports a coil portion (moving element) 38 of the linear motor 20, and a U-shaped holding member provided on a frame 42 erected on the base 14. Inside 44, a magnet (stator) 46 of the linear motor 20 is formed extending in the Y direction. Therefore, the slider 18 is driven by the linear motor 20 and moves in the Y direction.

  Therefore, the movable body 16 translates in the Y direction by being simultaneously driven by the linear motor 20 while being guided by the pair of guide rails 30 while the pair of sliders 18 disposed at both ends is guided.

Here, the configuration of the stage guide mechanism 28 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guide rail 30 of the stage guide mechanism 28 has a substantially square cross section and is attached so that each of the four sides has an inclination angle of 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane. Note that the cross section of the guide rail 30 is not limited to a square, and can be easily machined if it is a rhombus or a parallelogram whose surfaces face each other.

  The adjustment mechanism 36 includes a pair of adjustment blocks 50 and 51 that press the lower inclined surfaces 30a and 30b of the guide rail 30 from both sides, and a fixing bolt (fixing member) that fixes the adjustment block 50 to the upper surface (horizontal plane) of the base 14. 52, an adjustment screw (moving mechanism) 54 that presses the adjustment block 50 from the side to adjust the mounting position, and a fastening bolt that is screwed into the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 and fastens the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 to the guide rail 30. (Fastening member) 56.

  The pair of adjustment blocks 50 and 51 are symmetrical structures, and are pressing members that press the lower inclined surfaces 30a and 30b of the guide rail 30 from the side. The adjustment blocks 50 and 51 have contact surfaces 50 a and 51 a that are inclined at the same angle as the lower inclined surfaces 30 a and 30 b, and sliding surfaces 50 b and 51 b that slide on the upper surface of the base 14.

  The fixing bolt 52 passes through the sliding surfaces 50b and 51b and is inserted into the base 14, and is fixed to the base 14 with the bolt. The fastening force of the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 by the fixing bolt 52 is set so as to generate a frictional force that does not lose the load of the moving body 16 when the load acts on the guide rail 30 due to the movement of the moving body 16. Yes.

  The adjustment blocks 50 and 51 are provided with long holes 50c and 51c through which the fixing bolts 52 are inserted, and long holes 50d and 51d through which the fastening bolts 56 are inserted. Since the long holes 50c, 51c and 50d, 51d are formed so as to be wide in the X direction and narrow in the Y direction, the adjusting blocks 50, 51 extend in the guide rail 30 (Y direction). The movement to the X direction is restricted, and it is possible to move in the X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. The fixing bolt 52 is screwed into the screw member 53 because the tip portion is embedded in the base 14, and fixes the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 by rotating in the tightening direction.

  A bracket 58 into which an adjustment screw 54 is screwed in a horizontal state is fixed on the base 14 outside the adjustment blocks 50 and 51. The adjustment screw 54 is in contact with the ends of the adjustment blocks 50 and 51, and the tip pressing pad 54 a presses the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 by rotating clockwise using a tool. As a result, the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 move in the direction in which the contact surfaces 50a and 51a press the guide rail 30, and move in a direction away from the guide rail 30 by turning the adjustment screw 54 counterclockwise. To do.

  When the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 are moved in directions close to each other, the contact surfaces 50a and 51a can push the lower inclined surfaces 30a and 30b from both sides to move the guide rail 30 upward. When the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 are moved away from each other, the contact surfaces 50a and 51a move away from the lower inclined surfaces 30a and 30b, and the guide rail 30 can be moved downward. . Thereby, the height position (vertical distortion) of the guide rail 30 can be adjusted.

  As described above, the adjusting mechanism 36 can adjust the distortion of the guide rail 30 on the spot, or after the stage apparatus 10 is installed even when the guide rail 30 is distorted during the transportation to the installation site. It becomes possible to adjust so that the distortion of the guide rail 30 is eliminated. Thereby, the guide rail 30 can obtain the required straightness even if the entire length is extended as the apparatus becomes larger. Moreover, when attaching a pair of guide rail 30, it can also adjust so that a parallelism may be maintained while adjusting distortion of a pair of guide rail 30. FIG.

  Further, since the adjusting mechanism 36 presses the lower inclined surfaces 30a and 30b of the guide rail 30 from the side, it becomes possible to adjust the distortion of the guide rail 30 with a relatively simple operation, and the assembly is completed at the installation site. After that, adjustment work can be performed efficiently.

  Further, the horizontal position (distortion) of the guide rail 30 can be adjusted by moving the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 in the same direction (right direction or left direction).

  The slider 18 has inclined surfaces 18a and 18b facing the upper inclined surfaces 30c and 30d of the guide rail 30 on the lower surface side. The inclined surfaces 18a and 18b are provided with three hydrostatic bearing pads 32 to 34, of which the hydrostatic bearing pads 32 and 33 are of a swing structure type, and the remaining hydrostatic bearing pads 34 are Fixed structure type.

  The hydrostatic bearing pads 32, 33 provided on the inclined surfaces 18a, 18b are supported by an elastic support member 32a, 33b having an axial strength such as an elastic hinge and a radial elasticity so as to be swingable. . This is because if the gap between the static pressure bearing pads 32 and 33 and the upper inclined surfaces 30c and 30d is very small (several μ to several tens μ) and the upper inclined surfaces 30c and 30d are distorted, the static pressure bearing pad is used. The elastic members 32a and 33b can be stably floated by the elastic members 32a and 33b being elastically deformed according to the strain and swinging.

  As described above, the hydrostatic bearing pads 32 to 34 inclined at an angle facing the upper inclined surfaces 30c and 30d of the guide rail 30 are provided on the inner side of the slider 18, and the guide rail 30 having a substantially square cross-sectional shape is placed on a horizontal plane. On the other hand, by mounting in a direction having an inclined surface of 45 degrees, a horizontal component and a vertical component of the reaction force of the air pressure are generated, and stable sliding can be ensured by the balance of these components. In addition, it is possible to reduce the number of static pressure bearing pads installed as compared with the conventional configuration in which the horizontal plane and the vertical plane are opposed to each other.

  Here, an operation for adjusting the distortion of the guide rail 30 by the adjusting mechanism 36 will be described. In this embodiment, when the assembly operation of the stage apparatus 10 is completed, the adjustment operation of the guide rail 30 is performed.

  When adjusting the distortion of the guide rails 30 mounted on the base 14, the fixing bolts 52 are loosened with both ends of the pair of guide rails 30 placed on the contact surfaces 50a, 51a of the adjustment blocks 50, 51. The adjustment blocks 50 and 51 are allowed to slide on the base 14. Then, the adjustment bolts 50 and 51 are fastened to the guide rail 30 by fastening the fastening bolt 56. Thereafter, the adjustment screws 54 are turned so that the positions of the both ends of the guide rail 30 become the specified positions, and the attachment positions of the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 are finely adjusted.

  Next, in order to adjust the straightness of the guide rail 30, the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 are attached to locations where distortion occurs in the intermediate portion of the guide rail 30, and adjustment work is performed with the adjustment screw 54 for each distortion location. And the adjustment of the parallelism of a pair of guide rail 30 adjusts the position of the other guide rail 30 using the adjustment blocks 50 and 51 on the basis of which guide rail 30 is a reference | standard.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a second embodiment of the stage guide mechanism. In FIG. 4, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 4, the stage guide mechanism 60 according to the second embodiment is configured to fasten the guide rail 30 and the base 14 using a fastening bolt 62 instead of the fastening bolt 56. The fastening bolt 62 is inserted into a through hole 64 that penetrates the center of the guide rail 30 in the vertical direction, and the tip thereof is embedded in the base 14 and is screwed into the screw member 66. The through hole 64 is circular when the upper hole 64a is viewed from above, and is formed into a long hole when the lower hole 64b is viewed from above. The lower hole 64b is formed so as to be wide in the X direction and narrow in the Y direction, like the long holes 50c, 51c and 50d, 51d described above. It is possible to move in the X direction.

  As described above, the stage guide mechanism 60 is configured to fix the guide rail 30 to the base 14 by inserting the tool into the through hole 64 from above and tightening the fastening bolt 62 after adjustment by the adjustment mechanism 36. Can be easily engaged.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a third embodiment of the stage guide mechanism. In FIG. 5, the same parts as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 5, in the stage guide mechanism 70 of the third embodiment, the configurations of the slider 72 and the guide rail 74 are different from the configuration of the first embodiment. The slider 72 has a rectangular recess 72a formed on the lower side. Further, since the slider 72 is formed in a U-shape like the conventional one, it can be processed relatively easily compared to processing an inclined surface.

  Further, the guide rail 74 has a substantially pentagonal cross-sectional shape, and lower inclined surfaces 74a and 74b similar to those of the first embodiment are formed at the lower portion. A horizontal upper surface 74c and vertical left and right side surfaces 74d, 74e is formed. A hydrostatic bearing pad 76 is attached to the recess 72 a of the slider 72 so as to face the upper surface 74 c of the guide rail 74. Further, static pressure bearing pads 77 and 78 are attached to the vertical surfaces 72 b and 72 c of the slider 72 so as to face the left and right side surfaces 74 d and 74 e of the guide rail 74.

  Therefore, the slider 72 is supported in a low friction state that is lifted through a gap of several μ with respect to the upper surface 74c of the guide rail 74 by the air pressure from the hydrostatic bearing pad 76, and from the hydrostatic bearing pads 77 and 78. The position in the X direction is restricted with respect to the left and right side surfaces 74d and 74e of the guide rail 74 by the air pressure.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the stage guide mechanism. In FIG. 6, the same parts as those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the stage guide mechanism 80 of the fourth embodiment, a linear motor 82 is provided on the guide rail 30. That is, the linear motor 82 includes a magnet (stator) 46 embedded in a mounting groove 84 formed in the upper part of the guide rail 30 and a coil portion (mover) 38 inserted between the magnets 46. Yes. The mounting groove 84 extends in the Y direction, which is the moving direction of the slider 18, and a plurality of magnets 46 are arranged in parallel in the Y direction. The coil portion 38 is molded with a plurality of coils, and the upper end is attached to the lower surface of the slider 18 while being inserted between the magnets 46 arranged on the left and right sides of the attachment groove 84.

  Therefore, the slider 18 is driven by the linear motor 82 and moves in the Y direction. As described above, in the stage guide mechanism 80, since the linear motor 82 is built in the guide rail 30, a compact configuration can be realized, and space efficiency on the base 14 can be increased and the lateral width of the base 14 can be reduced. Is also possible.

It is a top view which shows the stage apparatus with which one Example of the stage guide mechanism which becomes this invention was applied. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows Example 1 of a stage guide mechanism. It is a disassembled perspective view which expands and shows Example 1 of a stage guide mechanism. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows Example 2 of a stage guide mechanism. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows Example 3 of a stage guide mechanism. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which expands and shows Example 4 of a stage guide mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

10 Stage device 14 Base 16 Moving body 18, 72 Slider 20, 82 Linear motor 24 Y stage 26 X stage 28, 60, 70, 80 Stage guide mechanism 30, 74 Guide rails 32-34, 76-78 Hydrostatic bearing pad 36 Adjustment mechanism 38 Coil (moving element)
46 Magnet (stator)
50, 51 Adjustment block 52 Fixing bolt 54 Adjustment screw 56, 62 Fastening bolt

Claims (12)

In a stage guide mechanism that has a guide rail arranged to extend in the moving direction and guides the slider of the stage along the guide rail,
A stage guide mechanism comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the guide rail by pressing the guide rail.   The stage guide mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the guide rail has a lower inclined surface having a predetermined inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane. The adjustment mechanism is
A pressing member for pressing the lower inclined surface of the guide rail from the side;
A fixing member for fixing the pressing member to a horizontal plane;
The stage guide mechanism according to claim 2, further comprising: The pressing member is
A contact surface having the same inclination angle as the lower inclined surface of the guide rail;
A sliding surface that is slidably attached to a horizontal plane;
The stage guide mechanism according to claim 3, further comprising: The adjustment mechanism is
2. A moving mechanism that slides the sliding surface from a side perpendicular to the extending direction of the guide rail to press the contact surface against a lower inclined surface of the guide rail. A stage guide mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The adjustment mechanism is
6. The stage guide mechanism according to claim 3, further comprising fastening means for fastening the lower inclined surface of the guide rail and the contact surface of the pressing member.   The stage guide mechanism according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the guide rail is fastened to a horizontal plane on which the sliding surface slides. The guide rail has two lower inclined surfaces,
The stage guide mechanism according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the pressing members are arranged on both sides orthogonal to the extending direction of the guide rail.   The stage guide mechanism according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the guide rail has two upper inclined surfaces parallel to each of the two lower inclined surfaces.   9. The stage guide mechanism according to claim 8, wherein a static pressure bearing pad inclined at an angle facing the upper inclined surface of the guide rail is provided inside the slider. In a stage guide mechanism that has a guide rail arranged to extend in the moving direction and guides the slider of the stage along the guide rail,
A pressing member provided so as to be movable in the horizontal direction and pressing at least two lower inclined surfaces of the guide rail from both sides;
A fixing member for fixing the pressing member to a horizontal plane;
A hydrostatic bearing pad disposed inside the stage so as to face the upper surface of the guide rail;
A stage guide mechanism characterized by comprising: The stage guide mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
A linear motor stator for driving the slider is provided on the guide rail,
A stage guide mechanism in which the stator applies a driving force to a slider of a linear motor provided on the slider.

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