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:
Oct. 15, 2002
Filed:
Jun. 30, 2000
Samuel K. Doran, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A positioning stage has a base which carries a stage plate slidably on its upper surface. Three rotatable drives engage both the stage plate and the base to move the stage plate on the base to provide motion along the x and y axes plus rotation. The linear drives each include a motor and a capstan driven by the motor and a drivebar frictionally coupled to the capstan. The stage is spring loaded to provide constant down-load force, regardless of the varying extension length of the drivebar. A ball joint permits varying between the cones and the ball of the ball joint dynamically to desired levels. Pitch, roll, and movement in the Z-axis are precisely maintained by the stage plate. X and Y position are determined by an X interferometer and a Y interferometer, respectively. Yaw is measured by a yaw sensor device for determining yaw angle comprising a light emitting source and a position sensing detector, which generates an analog signal that is the input to a yaw servo to correct yaw error.