The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 20, 1993
Filed:
Oct. 09, 1991
Adrianus G Bouwer, Eindhoven, NL;
Marcel C Baggen, Nuenen, NL;
Henricus W Janssen, Eindhoven, NL;
Petrus R Bartray, IJsselsteijn, NL;
Jan Van Eijk, Eindhoven, NL;
U.S. Philips Corp., New York, NY (US);
A.S.M. Lithography B.V., Veldhoven, NL;
Abstract
A support device comprises a first and a second bearing unit for guiding the support device along a base surface and a straight guide extending parallel to the base surface, respectively. The support device has an object table which is coupled to a rigidification member and which is displaceable relative to the two bearing units in a z-direction transverse to the base surface and is tiltable about at least one axis of rotation directed parallel to the base surface by three force actuators. The rigidification member is coupled to the second bearing unit by a coupling member which is elastically deformable in the z-direction, and coupled to the first bearing unit via the force actuators, whereby a statically determined coupling of the rigidification member and the object table to the two bearing units is obtained. The support device is particularly suitable for displacements of an object in the sub-micron range, such as, for example, in an optical lithographic device. In particular, an accurate focusing of the object may be obtained by the use of the support device in an optical lithographic device.