JP2010281982A - Positioning stage - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To control a sample stage used in an optical microscope or an electronic microscope with high accuracy, when being moved vertically to a predetermined position in micron units, and to minimize the overall size of a device, as much as possible. <P>SOLUTION: A positioning stage includes a fixing base plate 102; a guide tube 103 in a square-tube shape which is vertically arranged on the fixing base plate 102; a lifting column 105 that is loosely fitted within the guide tube 103 so as to move freely vertically and where a table 104 is connected at an upper end; and a flat roller 106, that is arranged between the guide tube 103 and the lifting column 105, and the flat roller 106 includes a structure where a plurality of needle rollers 109 are built rotatably in a holding plate 107 in parallel with one each another, and the needle rollers 109 assumes a horizontal attitude. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a positioning stage on which a certain sample for analysis, a workpiece for achieving a certain kind of processing, and the like are placed.

  In sample stages used in optical microscopes and electron microscopes, processing steps for joining the end faces of optical fibers, affixing steps for prisms, processes for analyzing components by irradiating certain types of samples, for example, etc. In order to observe a workpiece, sample, etc. from an arbitrary direction, there is a request to be able to move it up and down in a vertical direction with micron units at a predetermined position with a very high accuracy, and there are many devices for achieving this. Has been developed.

JP 2004-47852 A

  The invention “Z tilt stage” of Patent Document 1 is a mechanism for moving the stage up and down. The lower surface of the Z lift disposed on the lower surface of the stage via a spherical joint and the base is disposed on the base and moves forward and backward in the horizontal direction. In this configuration, the upper surface of the Z slider disposed at the tip of the actuator is in sliding contact with the inclined surface, and the Z lift is moved vertically in the vertical direction as the Z slider moves forward and backward.

  However, in this configuration, in order to move up and down in the vertical direction with extremely high accuracy, that is, in micron units, the angle of the inclined surface must be reduced in order to lengthen the inclined surface stroke, and thus a large plane space is required. There is a problem that must be. Further, in order to move up and down while maintaining the horizontal posture of the upper surface of the stage, it is necessary to arrange a plurality of combination mechanisms of the Z lift, the actuator, and the Z slider. Since precision of mutual operation synchronization is required, it is extremely difficult technically.

  In order to avoid such a problem, the stage as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is currently devised.

  The positioning stage 1 here moves the table 3 up and down in the vertical direction with respect to the base 2 via a predetermined power source. That is, the rotating shaft 6 in an upright posture integrated with a pulley 5 that rotates via a belt 4 suspended from a predetermined power source such as a motor is screwed with a part of a table bracket 7 integrated with the table 3. The table 3 is moved up and down together with the table bracket 7 by the rotation of the rotating shaft 6. However, the table 3 extends vertically between the table bracket 7 and the base bracket 8 integrated with the base 2. An exiting cross roller guide mechanism 9 is disposed so that the table 3 can be moved up and down smoothly. In the figure, reference numeral 10 as a part of the cross roller guide mechanism 9 is a table side roller race, and reference numeral 11 is a base side roller race.

  As is well known, the cross roller guide is composed of a pair of roller races having a V-groove transfer surface that has been precision ground and a roller cage in which precision cylindrical rollers are alternately and orthogonally incorporated in the opposing V-groove space. Since a plurality of cylindrical rollers roll on the roller race, the change in friction from stop to start (difference between static friction and dynamic friction) is small, and there is an advantage that the operation slip hardly occurs. Since the load is supported by line contact, the rigidity is high.

  However, when the cross roller guide mechanism 9 extends in the vertical direction, the contact width between the V groove surface and the roller cage surface is small, and there is a complaint that the posture becomes unstable. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view for explanation, and the circumferential surface of the roller cage 13 incorporated in each V groove 12 space formed between the table side roller race 10 and the base side roller race 11 and the V Since the contact line width d with the surface of the groove 12 is small, there is a dissatisfaction point in which the rigidity is weak and the stability of the track during ascending and descending is lacking.

  Therefore, the present invention is a positioning stage developed to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, inconveniences and dissatisfactions of the prior art, and vertically moves a sample stage used in an optical microscope or an electron microscope to a predetermined position in units of microns. At this time, it is an object to control with high accuracy and to suppress the size of the entire apparatus as much as possible.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a positioning stage of the present invention includes a fixed base plate, a square tube-shaped guide tube standing on the fixed base plate, and loosely fitted in the guide tube so as to be movable up and down. It is characterized by comprising an elevating column provided with a table and a flat roller disposed between the guide tube and the elevating column. In this case, the flat roller has a configuration in which a plurality of needle rollers are parallel to each other and rotatably incorporated in the holding plate, and the needle rollers are in a horizontal posture.

  In the above-described present invention, since the lifting column that moves up and down is held in contact with the flat roller in a rectangular tube-shaped guide tube, the stability of the track can be extremely secured during the lifting and lowering operation. it can. That is, since the peripheral surface of the needle roller of the flat roller is in line contact with the outer surface of the lifting column and the inner surface of the guide tube along the direction, a high degree of rigidity is obtained.

  And, the horizontal cross section quadrilateral lifting column that is loosely fitted in the rectangular tube-shaped guide tube, the four surfaces thereof are in contact with the flat roller, respectively, and are sandwiched with equal pressure from the four sides in the guide tube, A stable and accurate lifting movement can be achieved.

  As is well known, a flat roller has a structure in which a plurality of needle rollers are rotatably mounted in a holding plate in parallel with each other. This has the advantage that the change in friction from the stop to the start (difference between static friction and dynamic friction) is small, and there is an advantage that the operating slip hardly occurs, and further, since the load is supported by line contact, the rigidity is high.

  Therefore, as in the present invention described above, if the up-and-down movement of the elevating column with the table connected to the upper end is performed via the flat roller, the minute feed can be accurately followed and stable operation from low speed to high speed is possible. There are many excellent effects such as high rigidity and high load capacity.

It is a whole perspective view which shows an example of the positioning stage which achieves the present raising / lowering movement. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 with a table removed. It is a top view which shows the principal part of FIG. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. It is the BB sectional view taken on the line in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of C in FIG. 3. It is a perspective view of the principal part of the positioning stage concerning this invention. It is a see-through | perspective front view of the principal part of the positioning stage concerning this invention. It is a perspective plan view. It is sectional drawing of the upper limit of a table. It is sectional drawing of the descent | fall limit of a table. It is a perspective view of a flat roller.

The positioning stage 101 is fixedly fitted in a fixed base plate 102, a rectangular tube-shaped guide tube 103 standing on the fixed base plate 102, and freely movable up and down in the guide tube 103, and a table 104 is continuously provided at the upper end. And a flat roller 106 disposed between the guide cylinder 103 and the lifting column 105.

The flat roller 106 has a configuration in which a plurality of horizontally long through holes 108 are opened in parallel in the holding plate 107, and a needle roller 109 is rotatably incorporated in the through hole 108. As a result, the flat roller 106 A plurality of needle-shaped rollers 109 are rotatably assembled in parallel with each other in a horizontal posture (see FIG. 12).

In the illustrated embodiment, the rectangular tube-shaped guide tube 103 integrally standing on the fixed base plate 102 is square in plan view but may be rectangular, and the four guide plates 103a are connected to the lifting column 105. In addition, the flat roller 106 is assembled in a state where the flat roller 106 is assembled at a predetermined position without a gap.

The elevating column 105 loosely fitted in the guide cylinder 103 has a cylindrical shape, and a screw hole 111 is formed at the center of the partition wall 110 connected to the inside.

  At the position of the fixed base plate 102 which is the center of the guide tube 103, a feed screw 112 whose tip is screwed into the screw hole 111 is erected, and a pulley 113 is provided at the base end of the feed screw 112, It is suspended via a belt 114 with a predetermined power source (not shown) such as a motor capable of rotating a minute amount, and the lifting column 105 is moved up and down by the rotation of the feed screw 112. Here, the up-and-down movement amount of the up-and-down column 105 by one rotation of the feed screw 112 is set to 0.5 mm.

  In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of flat rollers 106 are juxtaposed in parallel with each surface of the guide tube 103 or each surface of the elevating column 105, so that the elevating column 105 can be held as accurately and reliably as possible with high accuracy. As shown in FIG. 12, the stroke of the length D of the needle roller 109 is larger than the stroke of the contact line width d between the peripheral surface of the roller cage 13 and the V groove 12 surface of the current product described above. Since it is conspicuously large, it has high rigidity and can reliably maintain the stability of the track during elevation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Positioning stage 2 Base 3 Table 4 Belt 5 Pulley 6 Rotating shaft 7 Table bracket 8 Base bracket 9 Cross roller guide mechanism 10 Table side roller race 11 Base side roller race 12 V groove 13 Roller cage 101 Positioning stage 102 Fixed base plate 103 Guide cylinder 103a Guide plate 104 Table 105 Lifting column 106 Flat roller 107 Holding plate 108 Through hole 109 Needle-shaped roller 110 Partition 111 Screw hole 112 Feed screw 113 Pulley 114 Belt

Claims (2)

  A fixed base plate (102), a square tube-shaped guide tube (103) erected on the fixed base plate (102), and loosely movably fitted in the guide tube (103), and a table ( 104) A positioning stage comprising: an elevating column (105) provided continuously with 104) and a flat roller (106) disposed between the guide tube (103) and the elevating column (105).   A flat roller (106) having a configuration in which a plurality of needle rollers (109) are rotatably mounted in a holding plate (107) in parallel with each other, and the needle rollers (109) are in a horizontal posture. The positioning stage according to claim 1.

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