X-Y stage with rotation and tilt
AssigneeKim Rubin
InventorKim Rubin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An X-Y movable stage with rotation and tilt is described. A fixed base comprises a magnetic bed with a checkerboard, hexagonal or pseudo-random pattern of alternating north and south poles on a grid. A movable puck moves, rotates and tilts on the base. The base and puck system is free of any other moving parts. The puck comprises three or more nodes where each node may be energized for a north, south, or off magnetic field, with varying field strength. Embodiments include use in a vacuum or fluid. Light from the base to the puck may be used to charge or power a puck. Methods of mapping node locations, controllers, and applications are described. Embodiments for specific applications are described.
Claims22
An X-Y stage comprising:
- a base comprising:
- a base surface;
- a plurality of base magnets arranged in a predetermined pattern, proximal to the base surface, comprising a plurality of north magnetic poles and a plurality of south magnetic poles;
- a puck comprising:
- a puck surface;
- at least four controllable first electromagnetic nodes;
- wherein each of the controllable first electromagnetic nodes is adapted to receive an each node drive signal and generate responsively an each magnetic field;
- wherein the puck and base are adapted such that the puck surface moves proximal to and parallel to the base surface responsive to the node drive signals, due to magnetic attraction or repulsion between the base magnets and the controllable first electromagnetic nodes;
- wherein a puck movement, relative to the base surface, is controllable via the each first electromagnetic node drive signals, in an arbitrary combination of X-axis and Y-axis directions;
- wherein both the X-axis and Y-axis are parallel to the puck surface and wherein the X-axis is orthogonal to the Y-axis.
An X-Y stage comprising:
- a base comprising:
- a base surface;
- a plurality of base magnets arranged in a predetermined pattern, proximal to the base surface, comprising a plurality of north magnetic poles and a plurality of south magnetic poles;
- a puck comprising:
- a puck surface;
- at least four controllable first electromagnetic nodes;
- wherein each of the controllable first electromagnetic nodes is adapted to receive an each node drive signal and generate responsively an each magnetic field;
- wherein the puck and base are adapted such that the puck surface moves proximal to and parallel to the base surface responsive to the node drive signals, due to magnetic attraction or repulsion between the base magnets and the controllable first electromagnetic nodes;
- wherein a puck movement, relative to the base surface, is controllable via the each first electromagnetic node drive signals, in an arbitrary rotation around a rotational axis normal to the puck surface.
An X-Y stage comprising:
- a base comprising:
- a base surface;
- a plurality of base magnets arranged in a predetermined pattern, proximal to the base surface, comprising a plurality of north magnetic poles and a plurality of south magnetic poles;
- a puck comprising:
- a puck surface;
- at least four controllable first electromagnetic nodes;
- wherein each of the controllable first electromagnetic nodes is adapted to receive an each node drive signal and generate responsively an each magnetic field;
- wherein the puck and base are adapted such that the puck surface moves proximal to and parallel to the base surface responsive to the node drive signals, due to magnetic attraction or repulsion between the base magnets and the controllable first electromagnetic nodes;
- a puck movement, relative to the base surface, is controllable via the each first electromagnetic node drive signals, in an arbitrary tilt direction and a tilt quantity up to a predetermined maximum tilt quantity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.