JP2016073006A - Stage device and drive mechanism used for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stage device capable of positioning a stage by performing fine driving in a required stroke using a piezoelectric element while having a compact and simple constitution, and a drive mechanism used for the same.SOLUTION: A stage device 100 includes a stage 200 including a stage member 12 on which a positioning object is mounted, a drive mechanism 300 driving the stage member 12. The drive mechanism 300 includes a piezoelectric actuator 60 including: a piezoelectric element 61 which is displaced in a predetermined direction with the application of voltage; and a displacement expansion mechanism 62 expanding the displacement of the piezoelectric element 61 and transferring the expanded displacement to the stage member 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a stage device for positioning by driving a stage and a drive mechanism used therefor.

  Conventionally, for precise positioning such as positioning in an exposure apparatus and positioning of a sample in a microscope, a stage apparatus that performs positioning by driving a stage on which a positioning target is placed has been used.

  In such a stage apparatus, extremely high positioning accuracy is required. For this reason, a stage drive mechanism using a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric actuator) capable of precise positioning has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). In other words, the piezoelectric element can be linearly displaced minutely according to the applied voltage, and can be precisely positioned by applying a predetermined voltage.

  As described in Patent Document 1, in order to perform sufficient positioning, rough positioning is performed in units of 0.01 mm with a coarse movement unit using a microphone meter, and then a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element to finely adjust the position. Although there is a method of positioning, since the generated displacement of the piezoelectric element is small, even if such a method is used, it is necessary to lengthen the piezoelectric element (piezoelectric actuator) in order to take a sufficient stroke. In addition, it is difficult to sufficiently cope with the downsizing of the apparatus.

  For this reason, in Patent Document 1, after roughly adjusting the coarse movement unit in units of 0.01 mm, the piezoelectric element (piezoelectric actuator) is caused to take a worm-like movement to be finely driven with a long stroke. It has been broken.

JP-A-7-182045

  However, in the method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to perform a complicated expansion / contraction drive on the piezoelectric element, and it is desired to take a necessary stroke with a compact and simple configuration using the piezoelectric element.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a stage apparatus that can position a stage by performing fine driving with a necessary stroke while using a piezoelectric element with a compact and simple configuration, and a driving mechanism used therefor. To do.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following (1) to (20).

(1) A stage apparatus comprising a stage having a stage member on which a positioning object is placed, and a drive mechanism for driving the stage member,
The drive mechanism is
A stage apparatus comprising: a piezoelectric actuator having a piezoelectric element that is displaced in a predetermined direction when a voltage is applied; and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the piezoelectric element and transmits the displacement to the stage member.

(2) The stage includes a base member that supports the stage member so as to move in one direction.
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member in a direction in which a compressive force is applied to the piezoelectric element via the displacement enlarging mechanism. The stage device according to (1), further comprising:

  (3) The piezoelectric element is configured as a long body, and is displaced in the length direction when a voltage is applied. The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured such that the displacement of the piezoelectric element is the displacement direction of the piezoelectric element. The stage apparatus according to (1), wherein the stage device is enlarged and output in an orthogonal direction, and the stage member is moved in that direction.

  (4) The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured to cover the piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the displacement enlarging mechanism is in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of the piezoelectric element and relatively to the piezoelectric element. The stage device according to (3), wherein the stage device is displaced in an outward direction.

(5) The displacement enlarging mechanism includes a first head piece and a second head piece fixed to one end face and the other end face in the length direction of the piezoelectric element, and the first head piece and the second head piece. A first displacement transmission portion and a second displacement transmission portion provided on one side and the other side of the piezoelectric element between,
The first displacement transmission unit and the second displacement transmission unit have a first output unit and a second output unit, respectively.
The first displacement transmitting unit and the second displacement transmitting unit are configured such that when the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the first output unit and the second output unit are displaced outward relative to the piezoelectric element. (4) The stage apparatus as described in (4) above.

(6) The stage includes a base member that supports the stage member so that the stage member moves in one direction.
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and has a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member,
The spring member applies a compressive force between the first output portion and the second output portion, and the compressive force acts so as to apply a compressive force to the piezoelectric element (5). Stage equipment.

(7) The drive mechanism includes a coarse movement unit that performs rough positioning of the stage and a fine movement unit that performs fine positioning of the stage.
The piezoelectric actuator constitutes the fine movement part,
The coarse movement unit has a coarse movement mechanism that moves the stage member via the piezoelectric actuator,
The stage device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the piezoelectric actuator finely moves the stage member in a state where the stage member exists at a predetermined position.

  (8) The stage device according to (7), wherein the coarse movement mechanism has a spindle that can be advanced and retracted, and moves the stage member via the piezoelectric actuator by the advance and retreat of the spindle.

  (9) One of the front end surface of the contact member that is in contact with the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator and the contact surface of the contact member in the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator is a spherical surface, and the other is a flat surface or a conical shape. The stage device according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the stage device is a concave portion.

  (10) The stage device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the driving mechanism further includes a driver for adjusting a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element in the vicinity of the piezoelectric actuator.

(11) In a stage having a stage member on which an object to be positioned is placed, a drive mechanism for driving the stage member,
A drive mechanism comprising: a piezoelectric actuator having a piezoelectric element that is displaced in a predetermined direction when a voltage is applied; and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the piezoelectric element and transmits the displacement to the stage member.

(12) The stage includes a base member that supports the stage member so as to move in one direction.
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member in a direction in which a compressive force is applied to the piezoelectric element via the displacement enlarging mechanism. The drive mechanism according to (11), further comprising:

  (13) The piezoelectric element is configured as a long body, and is displaced in a length direction when a voltage is applied. The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured to change the displacement of the piezoelectric element to a displacement direction of the piezoelectric element. The drive mechanism according to (11), wherein the stage member is enlarged and output in an orthogonal direction, and the stage member is moved in that direction.

  (14) The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured to cover the piezoelectric element. When the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the displacement enlarging mechanism is in a direction perpendicular to the displacement direction of the piezoelectric element and relatively to the piezoelectric element. The drive mechanism according to (12) or (13), wherein the drive mechanism is displaced in an outward direction.

(15) The displacement enlarging mechanism includes a first head piece and a second head piece fixed to one end face and the other end face in the length direction of the piezoelectric element, and the first head piece and the second head piece. A first displacement transmission portion and a second displacement transmission portion provided on one side and the other side of the piezoelectric element between,
The first displacement transmission unit and the second displacement transmission unit have a first output unit and a second output unit, respectively.
The first displacement transmitting unit and the second displacement transmitting unit are configured such that when the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the first output unit and the second output unit are displaced outward relative to the piezoelectric element. (14) The drive mechanism described in (14) above.

(16) The stage includes a base member that supports the stage member to move in one direction,
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and has a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member,
The spring member applies a compressive force between the first output portion and the second output portion, and the compressive force acts so as to apply a compressive force to the piezoelectric element (15). Drive mechanism.

(17) It has a coarse movement part that performs rough positioning of the stage, and a fine movement part that performs fine positioning of the stage,
The piezoelectric actuator constitutes the fine movement part,
The coarse movement unit has a coarse movement mechanism that moves the stage member via the piezoelectric actuator,
The drive mechanism according to any one of (11) to (16), wherein the piezoelectric actuator finely moves the stage member in a state where the stage member exists at a predetermined position.

  (18) The drive mechanism according to (17), wherein the coarse movement mechanism has a spindle that can be advanced and retracted, and the stage member is moved via the piezoelectric actuator by the advance and retreat of the spindle.

  (19) One of the tip surface of the contact member that contacts the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator and the contact surface of the contact member in the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator is a spherical surface, and the other is a flat surface or a conical shape. The drive mechanism according to any one of (11) to (18), wherein the drive mechanism is a concave portion.

  (20) The drive mechanism according to any one of (11) to (19), further including a driver that adjusts a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element in the vicinity of the piezoelectric actuator.

  According to the present invention, since the stage member of the stage is realized by enlarging the displacement of the piezoelectric element by the displacement enlarging mechanism, positioning is performed by finely driving the stage with a necessary stroke while making the apparatus configuration compact and simple. be able to.

It is the top view and side view which show the stage apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the piezoelectric actuator used for the drive mechanism of the stage apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the applied voltage at the time of attaching a piezoelectric actuator to a stage, and (a) shows only the case where a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric element from 0V to the maximum voltage, (b) is further a minor loop. Is taken into account. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the applied voltage and displacement in the case of a piezoelectric actuator single-piece | unit, (a) shows only the case where a voltage is applied to a piezoelectric element from 0V to the maximum voltage, (b) added the minor loop further. Is. It is a top view which shows the stage apparatus which concerns on the other example of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and side view which show the stage apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the stage apparatus which concerns on the other example of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the other example of the contact state of a rod or a spindle, and a 1st output member.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

<First Embodiment>
1A and 1B are views showing a stage apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a side view.

  The stage apparatus 100 includes a stage 200 and a drive mechanism 300 that drives the stage 200.

  The stage 200 includes a base member 11 and a stage member 12 that moves on a rail 13 provided on the base member 11 and on which a positioning target is placed.

  The drive mechanism 300 moves the stage member 12 of the stage 200 in the X direction, and is provided on a side surface of the stage 200 along the moving direction of the stage member 12.

  The drive mechanism 300 includes a displacement expansion type piezoelectric actuator 60, and the piezoelectric actuator 60 is fixed to a side end portion of the stage member 12 by a fixing jig 80. A driver 90 for the piezoelectric actuator 60 is attached to the fixing jig 80. The drive mechanism 300 includes a spring member 85 that is provided between the base member 11 and the stage member 12 and exerts an urging force (spring force) in the arrow A direction on the stage member 12.

  The drive mechanism 300 further includes a rod 83 provided so as to be in contact with a portion of the piezoelectric actuator 60 opposite to the fixing jig 80, and the rod 83 is fixed to the side surface of the base member 11 by the fixing jig 82. It is fixed to. The tip of the rod 83 is a spherical surface.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the piezoelectric actuator 60 includes a piezoelectric element 61 and a displacement enlarging mechanism 62 that enlarges the displacement of the piezoelectric element 61.

The piezoelectric element 61 is configured as a long body in which a plurality of plate-like piezoelectric bodies (for example, 10 mm × 10 mm) are stacked with electrodes interposed therebetween to have a length of, for example, 40 mm, and the length direction is the driving direction of the stage 200. They are arranged so as to be in the Y direction orthogonal to a certain X direction. In the illustrated example, the piezoelectric element is configured as a rectangular parallelepiped (square prism). The piezoelectric element 61 includes an electrical terminal (not shown) for applying a voltage to the side surface, and is configured to expand and contract in the stacking direction (length direction) when a voltage is applied between the electrical terminals. Has been. As the piezoelectric material constituting the piezoelectric body, a ceramic material having a piezoelectric effect is used. As such a material, typically, lead zirconate titanate (Pb (Zr, Ti) O ₃ ; PZT) is cited. Can do. The shape of the piezoelectric element 61 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and may be a polygonal cylinder such as a triangular prism or a hexagonal cylinder, or a cylinder.

  The displacement enlarging mechanism 62 outputs the displacement of the piezoelectric element 61 in the Y direction as an expanded displacement in the X direction, and is provided so as to cover the outside of the piezoelectric element 61. The displacement enlarging mechanism 62 includes a first head piece 71 and a second head piece 72 fixed to one end surface and the other end surface of the piezoelectric element 61 in the length direction, respectively, and the first head piece 71 and the second head piece. A first displacement transmission portion 70a and a second displacement transmission portion 70b are provided on one side and the other side of the piezoelectric element 61 between 72, respectively.

  The first displacement transmitter 70a includes a first hinge 73a, a first intermediate member 74a, a second hinge 75a, a first output member 76a, a third hinge 77a, a second intermediate member 78a, and a fourth hinge. 79a, the first intermediate member 74a is connected to the first head piece 71 via the first hinge 73a, and the second intermediate member 78a is connected to the second head piece 72 via the fourth hinge 79a. The first output member 76a is connected to the first intermediate member 74a and the second intermediate member 76a via the second hinge 75a and the third hinge 77a, respectively.

  On the other hand, the second displacement transmitting portion 70b includes a fifth hinge 73b, a third intermediate member 74b, a sixth hinge 75b, a second output member 76b, a seventh hinge 77b, a fourth intermediate member 78b, The third intermediate member 74b is connected to the first head piece 71 via the fifth hinge 73b, and the fourth intermediate member 78b is connected to the second head piece 72 via the eighth hinge 79b. The second output member 76b is connected to the third intermediate member 74b and the fourth intermediate member 76b via the sixth hinge 75b and the seventh hinge 77b, respectively.

  The first output member 76 a and the second output member 76 b are provided so as to face each other with the piezoelectric element 61 interposed therebetween in the longitudinal center of the piezoelectric element 61. The first output member 76 a is in contact with the tip surface forming the spherical surface of the rod 83. On the other hand, the second output member 76 b is fixed to the fixing protrusion 81 of the fixing jig 80.

  The first intermediate member 74a and the second intermediate portion 78a are arranged symmetrically with the first output member 76a interposed therebetween, and the first intermediate member 74a and the second intermediate member 78a, the third intermediate member 74b, and the fourth intermediate member 78b. Is arranged symmetrically across the piezoelectric element 61. Further, the first to eighth hinges 73a, 75a, 77a, 79a, 73b, 75b, 77b, 79b have flexibility, and the first output member 76a bends due to the expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric element 61 to thereby displace the piezoelectric element 61. The second output member 76b can be transmitted to the piezoelectric element 61, and the piezoelectric element 61 expands and contracts in the Y direction, so that an enlarged displacement in the X direction is output from the first output member 76a and the second output member 76b. It is like that.

  The first hinge 73a, the fourth hinge 79a, the fifth hinge 73b, and the eighth hinge 79b are provided outside the second hinge 75a, the third hinge 77a, the sixth hinge 75b, and the seventh hinge 77b. Therefore, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 2, when the piezoelectric element 61 extends, the first output member 76 a and the second output member 76 b are displaced outward relative to the piezoelectric element 61. .

  At this time, since the rod 83 fixed to the base member 11 that does not move via the fixing member 82 is in contact with the first output member 76a, the first output member 76a is actually a non-moving portion. For this reason, when the piezoelectric element 61 is extended, portions other than the first output member 76a are displaced together with the piezoelectric element 61 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1A, and the displacement is fixed from the second output member 76b. It is transmitted to the stage member 12 via the tool 80.

  The displacement enlarging mechanism 62 can expand and contract the expansion / contraction displacement in the Y direction of the piezoelectric element 61 to about 10 to 30 times and output the displacement as an X direction displacement.

  Since the spring member 85 is provided between the base member 11 and the stage member 12, the biasing force of the spring member 85 is provided between the first output member 76 a and the second output member 76 b of the displacement magnifying mechanism 62. Thus, a compressive force is always applied. This compressive force acts as a compressive force on the piezoelectric element 61 via the other portions of the first displacement transmitting portion 70a and the second displacement transmitting portion 70b.

  Since the piezoelectric element is generally made of a ceramic material which is a brittle material, it is strong against compression but weak against tension and is easily broken when a tensile force is applied. Since a compressive force is applied to the piezoelectric element 61, the piezoelectric element 61 can be prevented from being broken by a tensile force. In addition, the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 has a structure in which the first output member 76a and the second output member 76b are displaced outward as the piezoelectric element 61 expands, so that it is difficult to buckle even when a compressive force is always applied.

  Further, since the biasing force of the spring member 85 is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 60, the biasing force and the rolling friction (static friction) of the stage 200 cooperate to reduce the displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 60. In addition, the displacement can be reduced with respect to the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 61, and positioning with high accuracy becomes possible.

  Furthermore, the compressive force acts on the piezoelectric element 61 by the spring member 85, so that the polarization state of the piezoelectric element 61 is stabilized, and the length variation of the piezoelectric element 61 due to creeping is suppressed.

  The rod 83 may be fixed to the stage member 12 by the fixing jig 82, and the piezoelectric actuator 60 may be fixed to the base member 11 by the fixing jig 80. In this case, the second output member 76b is fixed to the stationary part. Thus, the displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 60 is transmitted from the first output member 76 a to the stage member 12 via the rod 83 and the fixing jig 82.

  The driver 90 includes a control circuit unit 91 and a resistance adjustment unit 92 including a variable resistor. Then, a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element 61 from the power supply unit (not shown) via the control circuit unit 91. At that time, the resistance adjustment unit 92 adjusts the applied voltage, A desired displacement is given to the piezoelectric element 61. By using a multi-rotation type that can be rotated many times as the resistance adjustment unit 92, high-precision displacement adjustment with high resolution can be realized. Further, by providing the driver 90 of the piezoelectric actuator 60 in the stage device 100 in this way, fine adjustment of the displacement can be easily performed. Furthermore, as the power supply unit, various types such as household AC power supply, USB, and battery can be used.

  In the stage apparatus 100 configured as described above, the displacement in the Y direction of the piezoelectric element 61 by the piezoelectric actuator 60 is set as the displacement in the X direction enlarged by the displacement enlarging mechanism 62. Specifically, when the piezoelectric element 61 expands and contracts in the Y direction, an enlarged displacement in the X direction is output from the first output member 76a and the second output member 76b. That is, when the piezoelectric element 61 extends, the first output member 76 a and the second output member 76 b are displaced outward relative to the piezoelectric element 61.

  At this time, since the first output member 76a is a non-moving portion, when the piezoelectric element 61 is extended, portions other than the first output member 76a are moved together with the piezoelectric element 61 in the direction of arrow B (see FIG. 1A). The displacement is transmitted, and the displacement is transmitted from the second output member 76b to the stage member 12 via the fixing jig 80 (fixing protrusion 81), and the stage member 12 is positioned with high accuracy. Further, since the tip of the rod 83 is a spherical surface, the rod 83 does not come into contact with each other.

  When the piezoelectric element is used alone, it is difficult to take a sufficient stroke because the generated displacement is small. For this reason, in Patent Document 1, after roughly adjusting the coarse movement unit in units of 0.01 mm, the piezo-electric element (piezoelectric actuator) is caused to take a worm-like movement to perform fine driving with a long stroke. In the method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to perform a complicated expansion / contraction drive on the piezoelectric element, and it is difficult to take a necessary stroke with a compact and simple configuration using the piezoelectric element.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, since the displacement of the piezoelectric element 61 is increased by the displacement magnifying mechanism 62, positioning is performed by finely driving the stage with a necessary stroke while making the apparatus configuration compact and simple. It can be carried out. That is, by providing the displacement magnifying mechanism 62, the required stroke can be secured by increasing the displacement by 10 to 30 times compared to the case of the piezoelectric element 61 alone without adding a complicated mechanism. As a result of actually mounting the displacement magnifying mechanism 62 on the laminated piezoelectric element 61 and configuring the piezoelectric actuator 60 to output the displacement, the maximum displacement of the piezoelectric element 61 was 19 μm. A displacement of 350 μm could be output, and the displacement could be enlarged approximately 18 times.

  Further, the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 outputs a displacement expanded in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the piezoelectric element 61 is displaced, so that the length direction of the piezoelectric element 61 is in a direction orthogonal to the displacement direction of the stage member 12. May be arranged as follows. For this reason, the piezoelectric element 61 should just make the short width direction become the displacement direction of the stage member 12, and can make the whole stage apparatus 100 more compact.

  Further, since the stage member 12 is urged in the direction of arrow A by the spring member 85 with respect to the base member 11, a spring is not provided between the first output member 76a and the second output member 76b of the displacement enlarging mechanism 62. A compressive force is always applied by the biasing force of the member 85. For this reason, it can suppress that the tensile force is exerted on the piezoelectric element 61 and it destroys.

  In addition, since the biasing force of the spring member 85 is applied to the piezoelectric actuator 60 in this way, the biasing force and the rolling friction (static friction) of the stage 200 cooperate to reduce the displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 60. Acts as follows. That is, the urging force of the spring member 85 and the static friction of the stage 200 act as a resistance of displacement of the piezoelectric element 61 both when the piezoelectric element 61 expands and contracts, and the output of the piezoelectric actuator 60 (displacement expansion). The output from the output member of the mechanism 62 is reduced. FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are diagrams showing the relationship between applied voltage and displacement when the piezoelectric actuator is attached to the stage and when the piezoelectric actuator is used alone. FIGS. 3A and 4A show only a case where a voltage (sine wave) from 0 V to a maximum of 150 V is applied to the piezoelectric element, and both show a hysteresis curve. However, in FIG. 3A when the piezoelectric actuator is attached to the stage, the amount of displacement relative to the applied voltage is smaller than in FIG. 4A where the piezoelectric actuator is a single body. When the piezoelectric actuator is attached to the stage, both in the case where the piezoelectric element 61 expands and contracts, compared to the case of the piezoelectric actuator alone, particularly in the initial stage where voltage is applied, As a result, the displacement is small and a large hysteresis curve is drawn. 3 (b) and 4 (b) also take into account a minor loop that is seen when the voltage is raised or lowered from a voltage in the middle of 0V to 150V. As shown in (b), by attaching the piezoelectric actuator to the stage, the displacement amount is small with respect to the voltage change, particularly in the initial stage. Therefore, the positioning accuracy can be made extremely high by using a voltage range in which the amount of displacement is small with respect to this voltage change.

  In addition, when using a piezoelectric actuator, backlash does not occur as in the case of using a screw, so that it is possible to achieve positioning with higher accuracy than when using a motor. Specifically, position adjustment in a very fine range of 0 to 100 nm, for example, around 10 nm can be realized.

  Moreover, since the compressive force is acting on the piezoelectric element 61 by the spring member 85, the polarization state of the piezoelectric element 61 is stabilized, and the fluctuation | variation of the length by creeping can be suppressed.

Further, in general, a piezoelectric element has a high rigidity, and a single piezoelectric element is added when an operator, such as a pipette or a needle, placed on the stage 200 is applied to an object on which a force such as a cell is not applied as much as possible. The force F is F = K · Δx (where K is a rigidity), and F is a large value, which is not preferable. On the other hand, when the displacement is enlarged by the displacement enlargement mechanism as in the present embodiment, the energy E represented by E = (1/2) · K · x ² is constant according to the energy conservation law, and the displacement is enlarged. Therefore, K is reduced, and the force exerted on the object by the operator placed on the stage 200 can be reduced. Further, as described above, by using the spring member 85, the amount of displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 60 with respect to the applied voltage can be reduced by the cooperative action of the urging force of the spring member 85 and static friction. The force can be further reduced. For this reason, it is suitable for an application in which it is required to reduce the applied force, for example, when a pipette, a needle or the like is applied to a cell or the like.

  In this way, the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 is always given a compressive force from the spring member 85, but the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 has the first output member 76 a and the second output member 76 b of the piezoelectric element 61. Since the structure displaces to the outside as it extends, the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 is unlikely to buckle even when a compressive force is always applied.

  Furthermore, the piezoelectric actuator 60 is attached to a fixing jig 80 in the vicinity of the piezoelectric actuator 60, and the resistance is adjusted by the resistance adjusting unit 92 to adjust the voltage applied to the piezoelectric element 61 to thereby adjust the piezoelectric element 61. Since the displacement is controlled, it is easy to operate and easy to operate. Furthermore, by using a multi-rotation type resistance adjustment unit 92, high-precision displacement adjustment with high resolution can be realized.

  In the above example, the drive mechanism 300 is provided on the side surface along the moving direction of the stage member 12 in the stage 200. However, as shown in FIG. 5, the driving mechanism 300 is orthogonal to the moving direction of the stage member in the stage 200. You may provide in a side surface.

<Second Embodiment>
FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing a stage apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 6A is a plan view and FIG. 6B is a side view.

  In the stage apparatus 100 ′ of the present embodiment, the stage 200 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but has a drive mechanism 300 ′ having a structure different from that of the drive mechanism 300 in the first embodiment. .

  Similar to the drive mechanism 300, the drive mechanism 300 ′ moves the stage member 12 of the stage 200 in the X direction, and includes a coarse movement unit 20 that performs rough positioning and a fine movement unit 50 that performs fine positioning. doing. The drive mechanism 300 ′ is provided on the side surface of the stage 200 along the moving direction of the stage member 12.

  The coarse movement unit 20 includes a coarse movement mechanism 30, and the coarse movement mechanism 30 is fixed to the base member 11 by a fixing jig 40. Moreover, the fine movement part 50 has the piezoelectric actuator 60 similar to 1st Embodiment. That is, the piezoelectric actuator 60 is fixed to the stage member 12 by a fixing jig 80. A driver 90 of the piezoelectric actuator 60 is attached to the fixing jig 80, and the piezoelectric element 61 and the displacement magnifying mechanism 62 are the first embodiment. It is configured in the same way.

  The coarse movement mechanism 30 of the coarse movement part 20 has the same principle as that of a micrometer, and is provided with a rotation part 31 that is manually rotated, and provided inside the rotation part 31 and attached to the fixing jig 40. It has a sleeve 32 and a spindle 33 that moves straight in the X direction relative to the sleeve while rotating by rotating the rotating portion 31. The tip of the spindle 33 is a spherical surface.

  In the present embodiment, the spindle 33 of the coarse movement mechanism 30 is brought into contact with the first output member 76 a of the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 in the piezoelectric actuator 60, and the coarse movement mechanism 30 does not move via the fixing jig 40. As in the first embodiment, when the piezoelectric element 61 is extended, the portions other than the first output member 76a are displaced together with the piezoelectric element 61 in the direction of arrow B in FIG. Is transmitted from the second output member 76b to the stage member 12 through the fixing jig 80.

  The displacement enlarging mechanism 62 can expand and contract the expansion / contraction displacement in the Y direction of the piezoelectric element 61 to about 10 to 30 times and output the displacement as an X direction displacement.

  The coarse movement mechanism 30 may be fixed to the stage member 12 by the fixing jig 40, and the piezoelectric actuator 60 may be fixed to the base member 11 by the fixing jig 80. In this case, the second output member 76b The displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 60 is transmitted from the first output member 76 a to the stage member 12 via the spindle 33 and the fixing jig 40.

  Similarly to the first embodiment, the driver 90 also includes a control circuit unit 91 and a resistance adjustment unit 92 made of a variable resistor. The driver 90 is connected to the piezoelectric element 61 from the power supply unit (not shown) via the control circuit unit 91. A voltage is applied, and the applied voltage is adjusted by adjusting the resistance by the resistance adjusting unit 92 at that time, and a desired displacement is given to the piezoelectric element 61.

  In the stage apparatus 100 ′ configured as described above, positioning is performed in either a coarse movement mode in which the stage 200 is roughly positioned or a fine movement mode in which fine positioning is performed.

  When positioning is performed in the coarse motion mode, the rotating portion 31 of the coarse motion mechanism 30 is rotated, and the spindle 33 is rotated and rotated. Thereby, the stage member 12 is moved along the X direction together with the piezoelectric actuator 60. At this time, since the tip of the spindle 33 is a spherical surface, the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 with which the spindle 33 abuts allows the spindle 33 to rotate. Further, since the tip of the spindle 33 is a spherical surface, the spindle 33 does not come into contact with each other. In the present embodiment, the spring member 85 also has a function of moving the stage member 12 so as to follow the retraction of the spindle 33 during coarse movement.

  When positioning in the fine movement mode, after the stage member 12 is positioned at a predetermined position in the coarse movement mode, the piezoelectric actuator 60 of the fine movement section 50 is used to move the piezoelectric element 61 in the Y direction as in the first embodiment. The displacement is the displacement in the X direction enlarged by the displacement magnifying mechanism 62, the displacement is transmitted to the stage member 12, and the stage member 12 is finely positioned.

  In the present embodiment, the fine movement mode is realized by enlarging the displacement of the piezoelectric element 61 by the displacement enlarging mechanism 62 by the piezoelectric actuator 60 similar to that of the first embodiment, so that the apparatus configuration is made compact and simple. Positioning can be performed by finely driving the stage with the required stroke. That is, by providing the displacement magnifying mechanism 62, the required stroke can be secured by increasing the displacement by 10 to 30 times compared to the case of the piezoelectric element 61 alone without adding a complicated mechanism. Moreover, since rough position adjustment can be performed by the coarse movement portion, positioning for a very long distance can be performed with high accuracy in combination with the fine movement portion.

  Furthermore, since the stage is positioned using the piezoelectric actuator 60 also in this embodiment, other effects obtained in the first embodiment can also be obtained.

  In the above example, the drive mechanism 300 ′ is provided on the side surface of the stage 200 along the moving direction of the stage member 12, but as shown in FIG. 7, the same as FIG. 5 of the first embodiment. The stage 200 may be provided on a side surface orthogonal to the moving direction of the stage member.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various change is possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a uniaxial stage device that moves only in the X direction is shown. However, a biaxial stage device provided with stage members that move in the X direction and the Y direction, a triaxial or more stage device, and the like, A multi-axis stage device may be used. In the case of a multi-axis stage apparatus, it is only necessary to provide as many drive mechanisms as the number of axes.

  Further, in the second embodiment, the coarse movement mechanism 30 used for the coarse movement unit 20 is a manual mechanism having the same principle as that of the micrometer, but an electric mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism may be used. Good.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the tip surfaces of the rod 83 and the spindle 33 are spherical surfaces, and the surface of the first output member 76a that receives the rod 83 or the spindle 33 is a flat surface. However, as shown in FIG. A conical recess 101 corresponding to the spherical surface of the rod 83 or the spindle 33 may be provided in a portion of the member 76a that receives the spindle 33. By receiving the spherical surface with the conical recess as described above, slippage can be suppressed and positioning without deviation can be performed. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the tip surface of the rod 83 or the spindle 33 is a spherical surface, but the surface of the first output member 76a that receives the tip surface of the rod 83 or the spindle 33 may be a spherical surface.

11; Base member 12; Stage member 13; Rail 20; Coarse moving part 30; Coarse moving mechanism 31; Rotating part 32; Sleeve 33; Spindle 40, 80, 82; Fixing jig 50; Piezoelectric element 62; displacement magnifying mechanism 71, 72; head piece 70a, 70b; displacement transmission part 74a, 74b, 78a, 78b; intermediate member 73a, 75a, 77a, 79a, 73b, 75b, 77b, 79b; hinge 76a, 76b Output member 81; fixed projection 83; rod 85; spring member 90; driver 91; control circuit unit 92; resistance adjustment unit 100, 100 '; stage device 101; recess 200; stage 300, 300';

Claims (20)

A stage apparatus comprising a stage having a stage member on which a positioning object is placed, and a drive mechanism for driving the stage member,
The drive mechanism is
A stage apparatus comprising: a piezoelectric actuator having a piezoelectric element that is displaced in a predetermined direction when a voltage is applied; and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the piezoelectric element and transmits the displacement to the stage member. The stage has a base member that supports the stage member to move in one direction,
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member in a direction in which a compressive force is applied to the piezoelectric element via the displacement enlarging mechanism. The stage device according to claim 1, further comprising:   The piezoelectric element is configured as a long body, and is displaced in the length direction when a voltage is applied. The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured so that the displacement of the piezoelectric element is perpendicular to the displacement direction of the piezoelectric element. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage member is enlarged and output, and the stage member is moved in that direction.   The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured to cover the piezoelectric element, and when the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the displacement enlarging mechanism is directed outward in a direction orthogonal to the displacement direction of the piezoelectric element and relative to the piezoelectric element. The stage apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the stage apparatus is displaced in a direction. The displacement enlarging mechanism includes a first head piece and a second head piece fixed to one end face and the other end face in the length direction of the piezoelectric element, and the gap between the first head piece and the second head piece. A first displacement transmission portion and a second displacement transmission portion provided respectively on one side and the other side of the piezoelectric element;
The first displacement transmission unit and the second displacement transmission unit have a first output unit and a second output unit, respectively.
The first displacement transmitting unit and the second displacement transmitting unit are configured such that when the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the first output unit and the second output unit are displaced outward relative to the piezoelectric element. The stage apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the stage apparatus is provided. The stage has a base member that supports the stage member to move in one direction,
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and has a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member,
The said spring member acts so that a compressive force may be given between the said 1st output part and the said 2nd output part, and the compressive force may give a compressive force to the said piezoelectric element. Stage equipment. The drive mechanism has a coarse movement part that performs rough positioning of the stage, and a fine movement part that performs fine positioning of the stage,
The piezoelectric actuator constitutes the fine movement part,
The coarse movement unit has a coarse movement mechanism that moves the stage member via the piezoelectric actuator,
The stage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the piezoelectric actuator finely moves the stage member in a state where the stage member exists at a predetermined position.   8. The stage apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the coarse movement mechanism has a spindle that can be advanced and retracted, and moves the stage member via the piezoelectric actuator by the advance and retreat of the spindle.   One of the front end surface of the contact member that contacts the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator and the contact surface of the contact member in the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator is a spherical surface, and the other is a flat or conical recess. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage apparatus is provided.   The stage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the driving mechanism further includes a driver that adjusts a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element in the vicinity of the piezoelectric actuator. In a stage having a stage member on which a positioning object is placed, a drive mechanism for driving the stage member,
A drive mechanism comprising: a piezoelectric actuator having a piezoelectric element that is displaced in a predetermined direction when a voltage is applied; and a displacement enlarging mechanism that enlarges the displacement of the piezoelectric element and transmits the displacement to the stage member. The stage has a base member that supports the stage member to move in one direction,
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member in a direction in which a compressive force is applied to the piezoelectric element via the displacement enlarging mechanism. The drive mechanism according to claim 11, further comprising:   The piezoelectric element is configured as a long body, and is displaced in the length direction when a voltage is applied thereto. The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured so that the displacement of the piezoelectric element is perpendicular to the displacement direction of the piezoelectric element. The drive mechanism according to claim 11, wherein the stage member is moved in the direction.   The displacement enlarging mechanism is configured to cover the piezoelectric element, and when the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the displacement enlarging mechanism is directed outward in a direction orthogonal to the displacement direction of the piezoelectric element and relative to the piezoelectric element. The drive mechanism according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the drive mechanism is displaced in a direction. The displacement enlarging mechanism includes a first head piece and a second head piece fixed to one end face and the other end face in the length direction of the piezoelectric element, and the gap between the first head piece and the second head piece. A first displacement transmission portion and a second displacement transmission portion provided respectively on one side and the other side of the piezoelectric element;
The first displacement transmission unit and the second displacement transmission unit have a first output unit and a second output unit, respectively.
The first displacement transmitting unit and the second displacement transmitting unit are configured such that when the piezoelectric element is extended and displaced, the first output unit and the second output unit are displaced outward relative to the piezoelectric element. The drive mechanism according to claim 14, wherein the drive mechanism is provided. The stage has a base member that supports the stage member to move in one direction,
The drive mechanism is provided between the base member and the stage member, and has a spring member that exerts a biasing force on the stage member,
The said spring member acts so that a compressive force may be given between the said 1st output part and the said 2nd output part, and the compressive force may give a compressive force to the said piezoelectric element. Drive mechanism. A coarse movement part that performs rough positioning of the stage, and a fine movement part that performs fine positioning of the stage;
The piezoelectric actuator constitutes the fine movement part,
The coarse movement unit has a coarse movement mechanism that moves the stage member via the piezoelectric actuator,
The drive mechanism according to any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the piezoelectric actuator finely moves the stage member in a state where the stage member exists at a predetermined position.   18. The drive mechanism according to claim 17, wherein the coarse movement mechanism has a spindle that can be advanced and retracted, and the stage member is moved via the piezoelectric actuator by the advance and retreat of the spindle.   One of the front end surface of the contact member that contacts the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator and the contact surface of the contact member in the output portion of the piezoelectric actuator is a spherical surface, and the other is a flat or conical recess. The drive mechanism according to any one of claims 11 to 18, wherein the drive mechanism is provided.   The drive mechanism according to any one of claims 11 to 19, further comprising a driver for adjusting a voltage applied to the piezoelectric element in the vicinity of the piezoelectric actuator.

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