JP3313530B2 - Stage moving mechanism - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stage moving mechanism suitable for moving a material to be drawn or a sample in X and Y directions in an electron beam drawing apparatus or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIGS. 1 and 2 show a mechanism for moving a material to be drawn, which is conventionally used in an electron beam drawing apparatus or the like. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the moving mechanism, and FIG. 2 is an AA cross-sectional view thereof. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a base arranged at, for example, the bottom of a drawing chamber. On the base 1, a stage 2 on which a wafer as a material to be drawn or a mask substrate is mounted is provided. Many balls 3 are sandwiched between the base 1 and the stage 2 so that the stage 2 can move smoothly in the X and Y directions.

Here, the surface of the base 1 and the bottom surface of the stage 2 are each machined and polished with good flatness.
Each ball 3 is selected such that the difference between the diameters is very small. With such a configuration, when the sample stage 2 is moved, it is possible to keep the fluctuation of the vertical position of the stage 2 and the pitching / rolling extremely small. The arrangement of the balls 3 is maintained at a constant ball interval by the retainer 4.

The stage 2 is movable in the X and Y2 directions by being guided by a movable arm 5x in the X direction and a movable arm 5y in the Y direction. Two elongate center guides 6a and 6c are fixed to the arm 5y, and a center guide 6b is fixed to the stage 2 in the middle of the center guides 6a and 6c almost in parallel with them. FIG. 3 shows details of the center guide portion. FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of the center guide portion in FIG. 2, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a cross section taken along a cutting line CC in FIG.

[0005] A cylindrical roller 7 is sandwiched between the center guides 6a and 6b and between the center guides 6b and 6c (in this example, the center guides 6a and 6c).
Plates are provided at the contact portions of b and 6c with the rollers 7). A retainer 8 is provided to maintain the position and posture of the roller 7, and the retainer 8 is movable together with the roller 7. A center guide, rollers, and retainers similar to those described above are provided between the arm 5x and the stage 2. That is, two center guides are fixed to the arm 5x, and a center guide located between the two center guides is the stage 2
Fixed on the side.

A roller guide 11x is fixed to one end of the arm 5x, and the arm 5x and the roller guide 11x are arranged so as to intersect at right angles. Ball screw 12x is part of roller guide 11x
Are screwed through, so that the ball screw 12
By rotating x, the roller guide 11x and the arm 5x fixed to the roller guide 11x are moved in parallel with the ball screw 12x. A roller is provided at the other end of the arm 5x, and the roller moves along a guide rail 13x arranged in parallel with the ball screw 12x.

Similarly, a roller guide 11y is fixed to one end of the arm 5y, and the arm 5y and the roller guide 11y are arranged so as to intersect at a right angle. A ball screw 12y penetrates a part of the roller guide 11y and is screwed. As a result, by rotating the ball screw 12y, the roller guide 11y is rotated.
y and the arm 5y fixed to the roller guide 11y
Is moved in parallel with the ball screw 12y. Note that a roller is provided at the other end of the arm 5y, and the roller is a guide rail 13 arranged in parallel with the ball screw 12y.
Move along y. The ball screws 12x, 12
y, the guide rails 13x, 13y are fixed to the base 1, the ball screw 12x is rotated by a motor 14x, and the ball screw 12y is rotated by a motor 14y.

In the above-described configuration, when the motor 14y is rotated, the ball screw 12y rotates, and as a result, the roller guide 11y moves in the Y direction. The arm 5y fixed to the roller guide 11y moves by the movement of the roller guide 11y. Accordingly, the center guides 6a and 6c fixed to the arm 5y push the center guide 6b fixed to the stage 2 via the rollers 7 in the retainer 8, so that the stage 2 moves in the Y direction. When the motor 14x is rotated, the ball screw 12x rotates, and as a result, the roller guide 11x moves in the X direction.

The arm 5x fixed to the roller guide 11x moves by the movement of the roller guide 11x. Therefore, the stage 2 moves in the X direction. At this time,
The center guide 6b moves together with the stage 2, and at the same time, the retainer 8 and the roller 7 also move in the X direction on a distance arm 5y that is a half of the movement of the stage 2. The horizontal movement of the stage 2 in the X and Y horizontal directions is performed smoothly because a large number of balls 3 are provided between the stage 2 and the base 1.

[0010]

In the above configuration, the roller 7 is merely loosely fitted in the rectangular hole 9 formed in the retainer 8, and when the roller 7 moves, its outer periphery is , And wear powder is generated from the retainer 8. In addition, since the retainer 8 moves while sliding on the arm 5y, the upper surface of the arm 5y and the retainer 8 rub against each other to generate wear powder.

[0011] These wear powders are removed from the center guides 6a, 6a.
It enters between the rollers b and 6c and the rollers 7 and deteriorates the movement accuracy of the stage 2. In addition, the running resistance increases, which causes yaw of the stage, and causes an error in pattern drawing in the drawing apparatus. Further, the abrasion powder that has fallen from the center guide accumulates on the base that maintains the vertical position of the stage 2, and deteriorates the vertical position accuracy and pitching of the stage 2.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to extremely reduce the generation of abrasion powder accompanying the movement of a stage, thereby enabling precise movement of the stage. In order to realize a moving mechanism.

[0013]

A stage moving mechanism according to the present invention comprises a stage, an arm that moves linearly,
Arm driving means, a center guide fixed to the stage, a center guide fixed to the arm opposite to the center guide of the stage, and a rotating body provided between the center guide of the stage and the center guide of the arm And a retainer that regulates the position of the rotating body,
In a stage moving mechanism configured to move the arm and push the center guide of the stage via the center guide of the arm and the rotating body to move the stage, the outer periphery of the rotating body moves without contacting the retainer.
So that the rotating body is supported by the shaft,
It is characterized in that both ends are supported by a retainer, and both ends of the retainer are held by rotating means so that the retainer does not contact the arm surface.

[0014]

In the present invention, the stage is moved by pushing the center guide of the stage via the center guide of the arm and the rotating body by moving the arm by the driving source, and the rotating body is supported by the retainer. Then, the rotating body is moved without its outer periphery contacting the retainer, and furthermore, both ends of the retainer are held by rotating means,
Move the retainer out of contact with the arm surface.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 shows details of a center guide, a roller, and a retainer, which are characteristic parts of the moving mechanism according to the present invention. FIG. 4A is a side view corresponding to FIG.
FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. In this embodiment, the same or similar components as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 15 denotes a cylindrical roller corresponding to the roller 7 in FIG. 3, and reference numeral 16 denotes a retainer corresponding to the retainer 8 in FIG. A shaft 17 penetrates the center hole of the roller 15, and the shaft 1
The direction of the roller 5 is restricted to avoid contact between the outer periphery of the roller 15 and the retainer 16. The upper and lower ends of the upright shaft 17 are supported by a retainer 16. Further, bearings 18 are held at both ends of the retainer 16 in the horizontal direction.
The retainer 16 is supported in a state where it does not come into contact with y, and the whole posture is maintained. The operation of such a configuration will now be described.

When the stage 2 is moved in the X direction as in the conventional example shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the roller guide 11x and the arm 5x move by rotating the ball screw 12x by the motor 14x. The stage 2 moves horizontally on the base 1 while being guided by a center guide of the arm 5x. At this time, in the center guides 6a, 6b, 6c of the Y-direction moving mechanism (such as the arm 5y), the center guide 6b fixed to the stage 2 is used.
Moves in the X direction with respect to the center guides 6a and 6c. At this time, the roller 15 rotates around the shaft 17,
Since the outer periphery of the roller 15 moves without contacting the retainer 16, no abrasion powder is generated from the retainer 16.

Since the retainer 16 is held by bearings 18 at both ends, the bearing 18 rolls on the arm 5y while maintaining the attitude of the retainer 16 as a whole. Therefore, since the upper surface of the arm 5y and the retainer 16 move without contacting each other, no abrasion powder is generated from both. Therefore, deterioration of the movement accuracy of the stage 2 due to dust generation is prevented. Further, since there is no drop of the abrasion powder from the center guides 6a to 6c, deterioration of the vertical position accuracy and pitching of the stage 2 can be prevented. Further, since the running resistance of the retainer 16 is reduced, yawing is reduced, and drawing accuracy and the like are improved.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, although the movement of the stage in the electron beam writing apparatus has been mainly described, the present invention can be applied to other electron beam apparatuses such as a scanning electron microscope and an ion beam apparatus. In addition, although the center guide is configured as a roller by passing the shaft through a rolling roller, the roller can be replaced with a bearing. However, since the cylindricity of the outer circumference affects the accuracy of the center guide, it becomes more difficult to maintain the cylindricity as the shape becomes more complicated. Therefore, as shown in the embodiment, if the configuration is such that the shaft is passed through the rollers, deterioration of the cylindricity of the outer periphery can be prevented, and the accuracy of the center guide can be maintained.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the rotation
Since the outer periphery of the body and configured to so that move without contacting the retainer, due to the fact that the outer periphery of the rotating body is in contact with the retainer
Generation of abrasion powder from the retainer is prevented. Also,
Holding the opposite ends of the retainer by rotation means, so the retainer have configured so as not to contact the <br/> arm surface, on the arm
The generation of wear powder from both the upper surface of the arm and the retainer due to the contact between the surface and the retainer is also prevented .

As a result, no dust enters between the outer periphery of the roller and the guide, so that there is no change in the preload of the center guide, and deterioration of the stage movement accuracy can be prevented. In addition, since there is no abrasion powder falling from the center guide, it is possible to prevent deterioration in vertical movement accuracy and pitching of the stage. Further, since the running resistance of the retainer can be reduced from friction to rolling, the yawing of the stage is reduced, and the drawing accuracy is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional stage moving mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of the moving mechanism shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a roller and a retainer provided between center guides for moving a stage.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a characteristic portion of a stage moving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention and a BB cross-sectional view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Base 2 Stage 5x, 5y Arm 6a, 6b, 6c Center Guide 15 Roller 16 Retainer 17 Shaft 18 Bearing

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B23Q 5/44 F16C 29/04 G05D 3/00 H01L 21/68

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A stage, an arm that moves linearly, a driving means of the arm, a center guide fixed to the stage, a center guide fixed to the arm opposite to the center guide of the stage, A rotating body provided between the center guide and the center guide of the arm, and a retainer for regulating the position of the rotating body are provided. By moving the arm, the stage is moved through the center guide of the arm and the rotating body. In the stage moving mechanism configured to move the stage by pushing the center guide, the rotation is performed so that the outer periphery of the rotating body moves without contacting the retainer.
The rolling element is supported by a shaft, and both ends of the shaft are
A stage moving mechanism configured to be supported by a retainer, and to retain both ends of the retainer by rotating means so that the retainer does not contact the arm surface.