Nikon Corporation

Nikon Research Corporation of America

Kazuhiro Hirano

Bausan Yuan

Pai-Hsueh Yang

Michael B Binnard

Scott Coakley

Shiang-Lung Koo

Kazuo Masaki

Tim Teng

Yuichi Shibazaki

Masahiro Nei

Ping-Wei Chang

Yi-Ping Hsin

Ryoichi Kawaguchi

Tsutomu Ogiwara

Gabor D Szoboszlay

Christopher B Smith

Takakuni Goto

Pai Hsueh Yang

Akira Okutomi

Xiao-Feng Yang

A method for moving a stage relative to a base includes coupling a magnet assembly to the stage; coupling an array of coils to the base; and directing current to at least one of the coils with a control system that includes a processor to generate a force that levitates the stage relative to the base and moves the stage relative to the base. In one embodiment, the control system generates at least one current command that levitates and moves the stage while inhibiting the excitation of a first targeted flexible mode.

Motor with force constant modeling and identification for flexible mode control

A stage mover for moving a stage relative to a stage base includes a conductor assembly and a magnet assembly. The conductor assembly is coupled to the stage base and a plurality of coil units with each coil unit having one or more coils. Each of the coils has a coil width. The magnet assembly interacts with the conductor assembly and includes a plurality of spaced apart magnet arrays. Each of the magnet arrays is spaced apart from each adjacent magnet array by an array gap that is at least equal to the coil width so that independent and symmetric magnetic flux distribution can be achieved for each of the magnet arrays.

Magnet array for moving magnet planar motor

A method for determining a commutation offset for a mover (A) of a mover assembly (C) that moves and positions a stage (A) relative to a stage base (B) includes controlling the mover assembly (C) in a closed loop fashion to maintain the position of the stage (A) along a first axis and along a second axis with the stage (A) levitated above the stage base (B). The method also includes the steps of (i) directing current to a coil array () of the mover assembly (C) so that the mover assembly (C) imparts a disturbance on the stage (A); and (ii) evaluating one or more forces generated by the mover assembly (C) as a result of the disturbance on the stage (A) created by the mover (A). Further, a method for generating a compensation map () includes sequentially directing a plurality of excitation signals to the control of the mover assembly (C) and determining the control commands that result from the plurality of excitation signals.

Method for determining a commutation offset and for determining a compensation map for a stage

Method for determing a commutation offset and for determining a compensation map for a stage

A stage is driven (position control) using a hybrid signal which is obtained by synthesizing an output signal of an interferometer (an interferometer system) and an output signal of an encoder (an encoder system) that are made to pass through a high pass filter and a low pass filter, respectively. A cutoff frequency is set to a frequency corresponding to a speed slightly smaller than the speed of the stage at the time of scanning exposure. This allows the stage to be driven using an interferometer whose linear measurement is high at the time of scanning exposure, and using an encoder whose measurement reproducibility is high at the time of stepping.

Movable body drive method, movable body apparatus, exposure method, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for identifying force-ripple and/or side-forces in actuators used for moving a multiple-axis stage. The identified force-ripple and/or side-forces can be mapped, and maps of corresponding position-dependent compensation ratios useful for correcting same are obtained. The methods are especially useful for stages providing motion in at least one degree of freedom using multiple (redundant) actuators. In an exemplary method a stage member is displaced, using at least one selected actuator, multiple times over a set distance in the range of motion of the subject actuator(s). Each displacement has a predetermined trajectory and respective starting point in the range. For each displacement, respective section force-command(s) are extracted and normalized to a reference section force-command to define a section compensation-ratio. Multiple section compensation-ratios are assembled, as functions of displacement in the range, to provide a map of compensation ratios for the actuator(s) throughout the range.

On-machine methods for identifying and compensating force-ripple and side-forces produced by actuators on a multiple-axis stage

Embodiments of the invention relate to a cable force feedforward approach that takes into account the cable force in the counter-mass trajectory computation to reduce or eliminate vibration of the lens body caused by the cable force disturbance and corrective force exerted by the trim motors. In one embodiment, a method provides cable force feedforward control for a counter-mass of a stage with a cable connected to the counter-mass and using the cable force feedforward control to control one or more trim motors to produce a trim motor output force to be applied to the counter-mass, the counter-mass moving in response to a reaction force from movement of the stage. The method comprises measuring a counter-mass position y of the counter-mass in response to forces applied to the counter-mass; measuring a cable force &#x192; exerted on the counter-mass by the cable which is connected to the counter-mass; generating a cable force function {circumflex over (&#x192;)}(y, {dot over (y)}) of the measured cable force &#x192; versus the counter-mass position y; and computing the trim motor output force u as where w is a weighting function having a value from 0 to 1 and is selected for optimization.

Minimum force output control method for counter-mass with cable

A stage assembly () for moving a device () includes a stage (), and actuator pair () and a control system (). The actuator pair () includes a first actuator () that is coupled to the stage (). The first actuator () has a first E core () and a first I core () that is spaced apart a first gap (g) from the first E core (). The control system () directs current to the first actuator () to move the stage (). In one embodiment, the amount of current directed to the first actuator () is determined utilizing a first parameter (a) that is added to the first gap (g). The value of the first parameter (a) is determined by experimental testing. Additionally, the amount of current directed to the first actuator () can be determined utilizing a second parameter (b) that is added to the first gap (g). The value of the second parameter (b) is determined by experimental testing.

E/I core actuator commutation formula and control method

A stage assembly () for moving a device () includes a stage (), an attraction-only type actuator pair () that moves the stage (), and a control system (). In one embodiment, the actuator pair () includes a first electromagnet (F), a first conductor (F) and a first target (F) having a first target surface (F). The actuator pair also includes a second electromagnet (S), a second conductor (S) and a second target (S) having a second target surface (S). The first electromagnet (F) is positioned at a first angle &#x3b8;relative to a first target surface (F) and the second electromagnet (S) is positioned at a second angle &#x3b8;relative to the second target surface (S). The control system () directs a first current to one or more of the electromagnets based on at least one of the angles &#x3b8;, &#x3b8;. Further, one or more electromagnets () can include a first measurement point and a second measurement point. The control system () can direct current to the actuator pair () based on the relative distance between the first and second measurement points and the corresponding target surface ().

Auto-calibration of attraction-only type actuator commutations

Exposure method and apparatus

Growing community of inventors

Ageo, Japan

Kazuhiro Hirano