High precision flexure stage
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsJames P. Spallas, Lawrence P. Muray, David Trost, Ho-Seob Kim, Tai-Hon P. Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed is a positioning stage for precisely positioning an object within a limited range of travel (e.g. 100 μm). By way of example, the stage can be used to position an electron source such as a field emitter in an electron beam microcolumn. The stage includes a block which defines a channel to allow flexure along a first axis. The block also defines another channel to allow flexure along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. Using actuators in the channels to flex a portion of the block, the object supported by the block can be precisely positioned to a desired location in a horizontal plane defined by the first and second axes.
Claims20
A stage comprising:
- a block;
- a first elongated channel defined in said block, thereby allowing flexure of an integral portion of said block along a first axis relative to a remainder integral portion of said block;
- a second elongated channel defined in said block, thereby allowing flexure of said integral portion of said block along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis relative to the remainder integral portion of said block, wherein said first axis and said second axis are in a single horizontal plane in said block;
- a first actuator at least partly in said first elongated channel, said first actuator being operable to flex said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along said first axis;
- and
- a second actuator at least partly in said second elongated channel, said second actuator being operable to flex said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along said second axis.
A positioning stage comprising:
- a block;
- means for allowing movement of an integral central portion of said block relative to a remainder integral portion of said block along a first axis;
- and
- means for allowing movement of said integral central portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, wherein said first axis and said second axis lie in a single horizontal plane in said block.
An array of positioning stages, each of said positioning stages comprising:
- a block;
- a first elongated channel defined in said block and thereby allowing flexure of an integral portion of said block relative to a remainder integral portion of said block along a first axis;
- a second elongated channel defined in said block and thereby allowing flexure of said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, wherein said first axis and said second axis are in a single horizontal plane in said block;
- a first actuator in said first elongated channel, said first actuator being operable to flex said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along said first axis;
- and
- a second actuator in said second elongated channel, said second actuator being operable to flex said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along said second axis.
A method for positioning an electron source comprising:
- supporting said electron source in an integral central portion of a block;
- flexing said integral central portion of said block relative to a remainder integral portion of said block to move said electron source along a first axis;
- and
- flexing said integral central portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block to move said electron source along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, wherein said first axis and said second axis are in a single horzontal plane in said block.
An electron beam assembly comprising:
- an electron source;
- a microcolumn;
- a block, said block having an integral portion for supporting said electron source aligned with said microcolumn;
- a first elongated channel defined in said block, thereby allowing flexure of said integral portion of said block relative to a remainder integral portion of said block along a first axis;
- a second elongated channel defined in said block, thereby allowing flexure of said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, wherein said first axis and said second axis lie in a single horizontal plane in said block;
- a first actuator at least partly located in said first elongated channel for flexing said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along said first axis;
- and
- a second actuator at least partly located in said second elongated channel for flexing said integral portion of said block relative to the remainder integral portion of said block along said second axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.