JP2007057256A - Xy stage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that the size of an XY stage has increased when translational stages of two axes are combined to each other, that operation restrictions have been required when the XY stage is constituted through the use of a hook-like elastic hinge since distortions in two the directions are superimposed on the hook-like elastic hinge, and that a guide function has not been sufficient since a conventional elastic hinge has low rigidity in a Z direction. <P>SOLUTION: The XY stage includes a vehicle; pressing means in contact with X and Y directions of the vehicle; and tubular elastic bodies in contact with X and Y directions of the vehicle and having a center axis perpendicular to an XY plane for holding the position of the vehicle by elastic action. The moving means freely moves in the XY plane according the pressing of the pressing means in the XY stage. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an XY stage that performs fine alignment.

  In the conventional minute positioning mechanism, as shown in FIG. 4, an XY stage is configured by combining two translational stages using elastic hinges. In FIG. 4, a slide base 7 is installed on the base 1 via an elastic hinge 8a, and a slider is installed on the slide base 7 via an elastic hinge 8b. Further, the screw 4 a that engages with the screw hole of the base 1 abuts on the slide base 7, and the screw 4 b that engages with the screw hole of the slide base 7 abuts on the slider. That is, when the screw 4a is screwed, the slider 2 is displaced in the X direction, and when the screw 4b is screwed, the slider 2 is displaced in the Y direction.

  However, when the single-axis elastic hinge is combined into two stages as described above, there is a problem that the XY stage becomes large. Further, since the elastic hinge is not high in rigidity in the Z direction, it is difficult to support the Z direction only with the elastic hinge.

  As a conventional technique, as shown in FIG. 5, there is an XY stage that supports the slider 2 using a saddle type elastic hinge 9 in which elastic hinges are combined in a saddle type. In this case, biaxial positioning in the XY directions can be performed with one stage.

  Further, there is an example in which the saddle type elastic hinge shown in FIG. 5 is arranged so as to surround the slider to reduce the dead space.

However, when the displacement in the XY direction is performed in the configuration of FIG. 5, distortion is superimposed on the saddle-type elastic hinge 9 due to the biaxial displacement. This is shown in the bending moment diagram of FIG. Accordingly, the operation must be limited as shown in FIG. 7 due to the superposition of stress at the fixed end of the saddle-type elastic hinge 9.
When positioning manually, the range is rectangular because it is necessary to simplify the operation. However, in the case of the saddle-type elastic hinge 9 composed of two members 10a and 10b as shown in FIG. This is smaller than when only one axis is changed.

  In addition, as a prior art, there exists a cantilever adjustment unit which performs micro position alignment using a screw (for example, patent document 1).

JP-A-5-149745

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that the shape of the XY stage becomes large when a translation stage for two axes is combined. Further, when an XY stage is configured using a hook-shaped elastic hinge, distortion in two directions is superimposed on the hook-shaped elastic hinge, and the operation must be restricted. Furthermore, since the conventional elastic hinge does not have high rigidity in the Z direction, the guide function is not sufficient.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a movable body, a pressing means that abuts in the X direction and the Y direction of the movable body, abuts in the X direction and the Y direction of the movable body, and a central axis is perpendicular to the XY plane. An XY stage having a cylindrical elastic body that holds the position of the moving body by an elastic action, wherein the moving means is movable in an XY plane in response to a pressure of the pressing means. .

  A second aspect of the present invention is the XY stage according to the first aspect, wherein two cylindrical elastic bodies are provided in each of the X direction and the Y direction so as to sandwich the movable body.

  A third aspect of the present invention is the XY stage according to the first or second aspect, wherein the cylindrical elastic body is a cylindrical spring.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the XY stage according to any one of the first to third aspects, the frame includes a frame surrounding the movable body, and the pressing means is a screw engaged with the frame. is there.

  The invention according to claim 5 is an XY stage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the XY stage comprises a frame body surrounding the movable body, and the pressing means is a micrometer installed on the frame body. It is.

  By configuring the XY stage using the cylindrical elastic body according to the present invention, the two-axis positioning in the X and Y directions can be performed with a single stage, and the structure can be made compact. In addition, since the cylindrical elastic hinge does not overlap in two directions and stress concentration does not occur, the operating range can be widened. Further, since the cylindrical elastic hinge has high rigidity in the Z direction, the guide function is enhanced.

  The configuration of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The upper view of FIG. 1 is a plan view of the XY stage, and the lower view is a front view. Metal cylindrical springs 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, which are cylindrical elastic bodies, are inscribed in the four sides inside the base 1, which is a frame body, and the cylindrical springs 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d are inscribed. A slider 2 as a moving body on which a sample or the like (not shown) is placed is sandwiched between four sides.

  The cylindrical springs 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d and the slider 2 are not fixed. When an elastic hinge is fixed to a slider or base that can be regarded as a rigid body, stress concentration occurs at the fixed end, and the shape of the end becomes large to alleviate this, or the amount of displacement is limited in consideration of stress concentration. There must be. However, in the present invention, since the elastic hinge is a cylindrical spring and is not fixed to the slider or the base, stress concentration does not occur, and these considerations are unnecessary. That is, the position of the slider 2 is held by a frictional force generated from a reaction force caused by crushing the cylindrical springs 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the cylindrical spring has a through-hole 6 larger than a screw described later. In FIG. 1, screws 4 a and 4 b are penetrated and engaged with screw holes provided at two locations of the base 1, and are in contact with the slider 2 through holes 6 of a cylindrical spring.

  The configuration of each unit in FIG. 1 has been described above. Next, the operation will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram in which the slider 2 of the XY stage of FIG. 1 is displaced. In FIG. 2, the slider translates in the −X direction by screwing the screw 4a. At this time, the cylindrical spring 3c is displaced by the movement of the slider 2, and a reaction force is applied to the screw 4a and the cylindrical spring 3a via the slider 2 to balance them, thereby determining the position in the translational direction. In the Y direction orthogonal to the translation direction, the position is maintained by the balance of the reaction forces from the cylindrical springs 3b and 3d, but the cylindrical springs 3b and 3d are displaced by a distance 5 that is half the distance of movement of the slider 2. Only moves, and no reaction force due to translation occurs. As described above, since the stress in the X direction does not overlap with the Y direction, the movement range of the XY stage can be set to a single maximum displacement amount in both the X direction and the Y direction.

  Further, since the cylindrical elastic hinge has high rigidity in the central axis direction, the frictional force between the cylindrical springs 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d and the slider 2 when the central axis is set in the Z direction perpendicular to the moving plane. It is possible to perform the guide while maintaining the position in the Z direction only.

  Similarly, the translation in the Y direction causes the slider to translate in the + Y direction by screwing the screw 4b. At this time, the cylindrical spring 3d is displaced by the movement of the slider 2, and a reaction force is applied to the screw 4b and the cylindrical spring 3b via the slider 2 to balance them, thereby determining the position in the translational direction. In the X direction orthogonal to the translation direction, the position is maintained by the balance of the reaction force from the cylindrical springs 3a and 3c, but the cylindrical springs 3a and 3c are displaced by a distance that is half the distance of the movement of the slider 2. It moves and there is no reaction force due to translation.

  Although the operation has been described above, by configuring the XY stage using the cylindrical elastic body according to the present invention, it is possible to position the two axes of XY with one stage, and the effect that it can be configured compactly is obtained. . In addition, the cylindrical elastic body has a wide operating range because the strain in the applied direction does not overlap in the perpendicular direction. Further, since the cylindrical elastic hinge has high rigidity in the Z direction, the guide function in the Z direction is sufficient even in a structure in which the slider is held by a frictional force.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible. For example, the screw may be a differential screw or a micrometer.
The cylindrical spring may be a cylindrical elastic body such as cylindrical rubber or cylindrical silicon.

3 is an XY stage according to the present invention. It is an XY stage in which the slider according to the present invention is displaced. It is a cylindrical spring. This is an XY stage in the prior art. This is an XY stage in the prior art. It is a figure which shows the moment of the displacement of the elastic hinge in a prior art. It is a figure which shows the operating range of a slider.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base 2 Slider 3 Tubular spring 3a Tubular spring 3b Tubular spring 3c Tubular spring 3d Tubular spring 4a Screw 4b Screw 5 Displacement 6 Through hole 7 Slide base 8a Elastic hinge 8b Elastic hinge 9 Vertical elastic hinge 10a Member 10b member 11 external force F
12 External force F '
13 M _m1
14 M _m2
15 M _mb
16 Practical operating range with saddle spring 17 Displacement at maximum stress with saddle spring 18 Operating range with cylindrical spring 19 Central axis

Claims (5)

A moving object,
A pressing means for contacting the moving body in the X direction and the Y direction;
An XY stage comprising: a cylindrical elastic body that abuts in the X direction and the Y direction of the moving body, a central axis is perpendicular to an XY plane, and holds the position of the moving body by an elastic action;
An XY stage in which the moving means can move in an XY plane in response to the pressing of the pressing means.   2. The XY stage according to claim 1, wherein two cylindrical elastic bodies are provided in each of the X direction and the Y direction so as to sandwich the moving body.   The XY stage according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical elastic body is a cylindrical spring. A frame surrounding the moving body;
The XY stage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing means is a screw engaged with the frame. A frame surrounding the moving body;
The XY stage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pressing means is a micrometer installed on the frame.

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