Nikon Corporation

Ting-Chien Teng

Bausan Yuan

Takashi Nagata

Michael B Binnard

Pai-Hsueh Yang

Toshio Ueta

Yohei Konishi

Kiyoshi Nozaki

Wen-Hou Ma

Nobutaka Magome

A slurry analysis system () for estimating a first characteristic of a slurry () having a plurality of particles () suspended in a dispersion medium () can include a slurry filter () that filters the slurry (); and a control system () that estimates the first characteristic of the slurry () using a flow rate of a filtrate () through the slurry filter () and a slurry filtration pressure of the slurry ().

Fluid monitoring system

A slurry analysis system () for estimating a first characteristic of a slurry () having a plurality of particles () suspended in a dispersion medium () can include a flow restriction assembly (); a sensor assembly () that senses a sensed condition of the slurry () as it flows through the flow restriction assembly (); and a control and analysis system () that estimates the first characteristic of the slurry () based on the sensed condition. Further, the control and analysis system () can select a selected clogging behavior using the sensed condition, and estimate the first characteristic based on the selected clogging behavior.

Slurry analysis system using flow restriction

Fluid synthesis system and corresponding method for synthesis of slurry containing abrasive particles. The system and method are configured to substantially segregate the abrasive particles passing through the filter, used at the filtering step of the process, from the sticky components that clog such filter prior to the filtering step of the synthesis process to achieve a sustaining filtration of the slurry as a result of which the filter remains substantially unclogged for the whole predetermined duration of the filtering process.

Fluid synthesis system

A stage assembly () that moves a work piece () about a first axis and along a first axis includes a first stage (), a second stage () that retains the work piece (), a second mover assembly (), a measurement system, and an initialization system (A). The second mover assembly () moves the second stage () relative to the first stage () about the first axis. The measurement system () monitors the position of the second stage () about the first axis when the second stage () is positioned within a working range about the first axis. The initialization system (A) facilitates movement of the second stage () about the first axis when the second stage () is rotated about the first axis outside the working range. The second mover assembly () can include a mover () and a dampener () that reduces the transmission of vibration from the first stage () to the second stage (). In addition, the stage assembly () can include a control system () that directs power to the mover () to position the second stage () and to compensate for vibration of the first stage ().

Stage assembly with measurement system initialization, vibration compensation, low transmissibility, and lightweight fine stage

In a stage assembly, for instance a fine stage using a pair of push-pull electro-magnetic actuators to move the stage back and forth along an axis, there is typically a sensor to determine the actual stage location. This sensor's home position must correspond to the actual stage position where the two opposed actuators are observed to exert forces of the same magnitude but opposing directions on this stage. Since the actuators depend on the sensor reading to exert their forces correctly, misalignment of the home position will decrease system performance. The calibration of this sensor is accomplished using actual system feedback signals, which are the currents drawn by the two opposed actuators, during run time conditions. The sensor is considered calibrated (meaning a virtual &ldquo;null&rdquo; position) when each of the two opposed actuators draws the same amount of current. If this is not the case a feedback process calibrates the sensor.

Capacitive sensor calibration method and apparatus for opposing electro-magnetic actuators

A pair of complementary magnetic actuators controls a stage in a high-precision positioning instrument in a single coordinate direction. Additional pairs of complementary magnetic actuators can be used to provide control of the stage in other coordinate directions. A small current through the windings of both magnetic actuators provides a zero net force on the fine stage, thus maintaining the position of the fine stage. The small current used to control the fine stage minimizes the RMS power gain. By increasing the current in one magnetic actuator while decreasing the current in the other, a net force is generated for large accelerations of the stage. Control of the magnetic actuators is simplified by simultaneously increasing and decreasing the current through the windings of the complementary magnetic actuators prior to accelerating the stage. Additionally, a feedforward command can control the magnetic actuators to decrease the settling time of the system.

Magnetic actuator producing large acceleration on fine stage and low RMS

A fine stage control system for use for instance in a semiconductor lithography machine, uses a pair of opposing (push-pull) E/I core actuators to move the stage with high precision along an axis. The paired actuators are coupled together mathematically in terms of their control characteristics and controlled as a single entity, thereby providing a more efficient control scheme and improved system performance.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Ting-Chien Teng