JPH071340B2 - Stage drive - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a stage driving device, and is most suitable for a stage for optical inspection equipment such as a microscope.

(Background of the Invention) When a large object such as an IC mask or a wafer is placed on the microscope stage for observation or inspection, the couple of the operating handle of the microscope stage is released in order to move the stage quickly. Various devices have been proposed, for example, Jikho Sho 56-
It is known in Japanese Patent Publication No. 19050 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 57-45513.

In this type of device, the couple release device is installed on a microscope stage handle (the former) or on a plate movable in one direction close to the microscope stage handle (the latter).

Further, in any of the devices, the engagement between the pinion and the rack is not released in the couple released state.

Therefore, if you want to fast-forward the microscope stage, first check whether the release device is operating, and if it is not active, activate it to move the microscope stage to XY
It was necessary to move the stage while holding a part of the upper plate part that moves to or the moving knob fixed to the upper plate part. Therefore, the operation was troublesome.

Also, since the rack and pinion are fast-forwarding and are always engaged regardless of slight movement, wear on the tooth surface after long-term use,
Since the pinion rotates at a high speed during fast-forwarding, the bearing has a drawback.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide a stage drive device which has good operability in the case of fast-forwarding of the stage and excellent durability.

(Summary of the Invention) The present invention drives a stage having a lower plate 3, an intermediate plate 2 that moves in the Y direction with respect to the lower plate, and an upper plate 1 that moves in the X direction with respect to the intermediate plate. In the apparatus, a first guide member (10, 12, 12 ') provided on the upper plate and having a guide surface that translates in the Y direction, and a first friction wheel that contacts the guide surface of the first guide member. 7, a first rotation driving device 7 ', 9 for rotating the first friction wheel, a first spring member 19 for pressing the guide surface of the first guide member and the first friction wheel into contact with each other, and A second friction wheel 6 arranged on the plate so as to move in parallel in the X direction, a second rotary drive device 6'for rotating the second friction wheel, and a second friction wheel arranged on the lower plate. A second guide member 11 having a guide surface for contacting the vehicle in the Y direction;
A second spring member 20 for pressing the guide surface of the guide member and the second friction wheel into contact with each other; a grip bar 21 fixed to the upper plate;
An operating member (22) operated together with the grip bar, and the first guiding member so as to release the contact between the guiding surface of the first guiding member and the first friction wheel when the operating member is operated. And releasing means 22 and 23 for transmitting the movement of the first guide member to the second guide member so as to release the contact between the guide surface of the second guide member and the second friction wheel. And a drive means.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on an example shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A 'in Fig. 3, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB' in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of main parts excluding upper plate 1, middle plate 2 and lower plate 3. FIG. 5 is an external view, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the fast-forwarding operation member.

The upper plate 1 is in the X-direction (first
It is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction in the figure. The middle plate 2 is provided so as to be movable with respect to the lower plate 3 in the Y direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) via the roller race. Also, the lower plate 3
Is attached to the vertical movement part of the microscope body,
It is fixed in the X and Y directions.

A female roller race 4 having a guide in the X direction is fixedly mounted on the middle plate 2, and a male roller race 5 having a hollow shaft 5'extending in a direction orthogonal to each of the X direction and the Y direction is fixed to the female roller race 4 in the X direction (first It is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction in FIG. A hollow shaft having a friction wheel 6 on the upper side and an operation handle 6'on the lower end is fitted on the outer circumference of the hollow shaft of the male roller race 5, and a friction wheel 7 is provided on the upper protruding end on the inner circumference. A shaft having an operation handle 9 is fitted to the lower protruding end. As a result, the operation handles 6'and 9 are so-called coaxial handles. A pressing ring 8 is provided between the operating handle 6'and the male roller race 5 to apply an appropriate couple in the thrust direction. Similarly, an appropriate couple is applied between the friction wheel 7 and the male roller race 5 by the operation handle 9.

The lower plate 3 is provided with a Y-direction friction drive plate 11. A compression spring 20 is provided between the female race race 4 and the male race race 5, and the compression spring 20 presses the male race race 5 so that the friction wheel 6 contacts the Y direction friction drive plate 11.

The upper plate 1 is provided with an X-direction friction drive plate 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the X-direction friction drive plate 10 includes stepped machine screws 13 and 13 'fixed near both ends, stepped machine screws 14 and 14' fixed to the upper plate 1, and stepped machine screws. A so-called parallelogram formed by a first rotary plate 12 rotatably attached to machine screws 13 and 14 and a second rotary plate 12 'rotatably attached to stepped machine screws 13' and 14 '. The link mechanism is provided so as to translate in the Y direction. That is, in FIG. 3, the first and second rotary plates 12 and 12 'rotate around the stepped screws 14 and 14', whereby the friction drive plate 10 moves in the X direction (left and right) while moving in the Y direction (up and down). ) Move to. As shown in FIG. 3, the angle θ (stepped machine screws 13 ′, 1) formed by connecting the stepped machine screws 13, 14 with the Y direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3).
The same applies to 4 '). The compression spring 19 disposed between the upper plate 1 and the rotary plate 12 appropriately determines that the rotary plate 12 obtains a counterclockwise rotational force. The friction drive plate 10 is biased downward in FIG. 3 by the compression spring 19 via the rotary plate 12, and is pressed against the friction wheel 7.

As shown in FIG. 3, a moving plate 15 is provided on the upper surface of the female roller race 4, and a left upper long groove 15a is formed near the center of the moving plate 15, and the long groove 15a is sandwiched between the moving plate 15 and Y. Long grooves 15b and 15b 'having a longitudinal direction are formed. The pin 16 planted in the male roller race 5 is fitted in the long groove 15a through the clearance hole formed in the female roller race 4, and the stepped machine screws 17, 17 'provided in the female roller race are fitted in the long grooves 15b, 15b'. There is. And moving plate 1
A bearing 18, which is disposed so as to face the surface of the friction drive plate 10 opposite to the surface on which the friction wheel 7 abuts, is supported by the bearing 5. At this time, the bearing 18 is arranged so as to be slightly spaced from the friction drive plate 10 in the state of FIG. 3, that is, in the state where the friction drive plate 10 is in contact with the friction wheel 7.

As shown in FIG. 5, a grip bar 21 having a rotation guide shaft 23 is fixedly mounted on the upper plate 1. The rotation guide shaft 23 is rotatably provided with a lever member 22 that can be held together with the grip bar 21. A part A of the lever member 22 abuts the rotary plate 12 on the opposite side of the compression spring 19, and together with the grip bar 21, the lever member 22.
By grasping 22 it acts so as to rotate the rotary plate 12 clockwise against the biasing force of the compression spring 19.

Therefore, when the grip bar 21 and the lever member 22 are gripped, the rotary plate 12 rotates clockwise against the biasing force of the compression spring 19,
As a result, since the friction drive plate 10 moves to the upper left of FIG. 3, the contact between the friction drive plate 10 and the friction wheel 7 is released, and the friction drive plate 10 contacts the bearing 18. When the friction drive plate 10 moves further to the upper left, the moving plate 15 integrated with the bearing 18 is movable only in the Y direction by the long grooves 15b and 15b 'and the stepped machine screws 17 and 17'. Slides on the contact surface of the friction drive plate 10 and moves upward (Y direction) together with the friction drive plate 10. At that time, the pin 16 fitted in the long groove 15a of the moving plate 15 is guided by the long groove 15a and moves in the X direction (this state is shown in FIG. 6). That is, the male roller race 5 is moved to the right in FIG. 1 against the biasing force of the compression spring 20. As a result, the contact between the friction wheel 6 and the friction drive plate 11 is released.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the grip bar is shown in FIG.
By grasping 21 and the lever member 22 and moving them in the X and Y directions, fast-forwarding can be realized without the friction wheels 6 and 7 contacting the friction drive plates 10 and 11.

When the hand is released from the grip bar 21 and the lever member 22, the compression spring 19 presses the friction drive plate 10 against the friction wheel 7, and the spring 20 presses the friction wheel 6 against the friction drive plate 11. Therefore, when the operation handle 6'is rotated, the middle plate 2 is moved in the Y direction by the roller race between the friction wheel 6 and the friction drive plate 11 and the lower plate 3, and when the operation handle 9 is rotated, the friction wheel 7 is rubbed against the friction wheel 7. The upper plate 1 is moved in the X direction by the drive plate 11 due to the roller race between the upper plate 1 and the intermediate plate 2. In this way, fine movement feeding is performed.

It should be noted that in the above embodiment, when the friction drive plate 10 is in contact with the friction wheel 7, the bearing 18 does not move.
The grip drive bar 21 and the lever member 22 are not gripped sufficiently, and the friction drive plate is just used.
If 10 is disengaged from the friction wheel 7 and stopped in contact with the bearing 18 (which can be seen from the feel of the grip), fast-forwarding only in the X direction can be performed.

Also, hold the operating handles 6 ', 9 etc.
Is moved against the biasing force of the compression spring 20, the friction wheel 6
Since the contact between the friction drive plate 11 and the friction drive plate 11 is released, it is possible to perform fast-forwarding only in the Y direction.

Of course, if it is not necessary to separate the X-direction feed and the Y-direction feed, even if the bearing 18 is in contact with the friction drive plate 10 when the friction drive plate 10 is in contact with the friction wheel 7, I do not care.

Further, for example, since the friction drive plate 10 may be moved in parallel in the Y direction at the time of fast-forwarding, the link mechanism is preferable because the guide surface is long as described above. The friction drive plate 10 may move along a guide formed in the Y direction.

Further, the lever member 22 described above uses the compression spring 19 also as a return spring thereof, and since it is fast-forwarding only when it is gripped with the grip bar 21, it is possible to confirm whether it is set to fast-forwarding or fine movement. The structure is not only unnecessary but also simple, but it can be replaced with another structure.
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the grip bar 21 ′ is rotatable with respect to the upper plate 1 with the central axis as the center of rotation, and the grip bar 2
An eccentric cam 24 that abuts the rotating plate 12 is formed above 1 ', and a gripping rod 21' is gripped and rotated to rotate the rotating plate 12 into a compression spring 19
If you try to rotate clockwise (Fig. 3) against
If the above-described fast-forwarding state is reached, and further rotation is returned to the initial state, the rotary plate 12 rotates counterclockwise (FIG. 3) and makes a slight movement. In this case, since the fast-forwarding or fine-moving state is maintained even if the hand is released from the grip bar 21 ', always hold the grip bar 21 and the lever member 22 in the case of fast-forwarding as in the embodiment shown in FIG. There is no such inconvenience, but it is necessary to confirm fast-forward or fine movement.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the stage is fast-forwarded, the contact between the friction wheel and the guide surface can be released by the operation member that can be operated together with the grip bar for fast-forwarding. It is possible to obtain a drive device for a stage that is excellent in the durability of the friction wheel.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an essential part of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. 3, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the fast-forwarding operation member, FIG.
FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the operation at the time of fast-forwarding, FIG. 7 is an external perspective view of the stage, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the fast-forwarding operation member. (Explanation of symbols of main parts) 1 ... upper plate, 2 ... middle plate, 3 ... lower plate, 4 ... female roller race,
5 ... Male race, 6 ... Friction wheel, 6 '... Operation handle, 7 ... Friction wheel, 9 ... Operation handle, 10 ... X direction friction drive plate, 11 ... Y direction friction drive plate, 12, 12' ... Rotation plate, 13 , 1
3 ', 14,14', 17,17 '... Stepped machine screw, 15 ... Moving plate, 15a, 1
5b, 15b '... long groove, 16 ... pin, 18 ... bearing, 19,20 ...
Compression springs, 21, 21 '... Grip bars, 22 ... Lever members.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A stage driving apparatus having a lower plate 3, an intermediate plate 2 moving in the Y direction with respect to the lower plate, and an upper plate 1 moving in the X direction with respect to the intermediate plate, A first guide member 1 provided on the upper plate, having a guide surface extending in the X direction, and moving in parallel in the Y direction.
0, 12, 12 ', a first friction wheel 7 that contacts the guide surface of the first guide member, first rotary drive devices 7', 9 that rotate the first friction wheel, and the first guide A first pressing member 19 for pressing the guide surface of the member into contact with the first friction wheel, a second friction wheel 6 arranged on the intermediate plate so as to move in parallel in the X direction, and the second friction wheel. Second rotation drive device 6'for rotating
And a second guide member 11 disposed on the lower plate and having a guide surface in contact with the second friction wheel in the Y direction, and a pressing contact between the guide surface of the second guide member and the second friction wheel. The second pressing member 20 for urging, the nigiri bar 21 fixed to the upper plate and operated at the time of coarse movement, and the operating member operated together with the grip bar.
Release means 22 and 23 for transmitting the movement of the operation member due to the operation to the first guide member so as to release the contact between the guide surface of the first guide member and the first friction wheel. , Transmission means 5, 15, 15a, 16, for transmitting the movement of the first guide member in the Y direction by the releasing means to release the contact between the guide surface of the second guide member and the second friction wheel. 18. A drive device for a stage, comprising: