Stage apparatus including non-containing gas bearings and microlithography apparatus comprising same

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within a guide plane, comprising:

• a support structure comprising first and second linear-motor stators;
• a stage;
• an arm member connected to the stage, the arm member having a first end extending from the stage in a first direction and a second end extending from the stage in a second direction;
• first and second sets of linear-motor mover coils arranged on the first and second ends, respectively, and configured to interact with the first and second linear-motor stators, respectively, so as to achieve motion of the arm member and stage, relative to the support structure, in the guide plane;
• and
• the arm member defining a conduit, internal with respect to the arm member, that conducts a coolant fluid to and from the mover coils.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within a guide plane, comprising:

• a support structure;
• a stage;
• a guide bar attached to the stage such that the stage and guide bar have a constant positional relationship relative to each other, the guide bar defining at least three end portions extending in respective directions from the stage in a plane parallel to the guide plane;
• and
• each end portion comprising a respective plane bearing configured to support the respective end portion relative to the support structure without the respective plane bearing contacting the support structure.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within a guide plane, comprising:

• a stage;
• a plurality of arm members connected to and extending from the stage, each arm member having respective first and second end portions each having attached thereto a respective linear-motor mover;
• a plurality of guide bars extending from the stage, each guide bar having at least one respective end portion including a non-contacting bearing;
• a support structure comprising (i) a respective linear-motor stator associated with each of the linear-motor movers, (ii) a respective guide plate associated with each linear-motor stator, wherein the bearings are configured to slide along respective guide plates, and (iii) the stators and respective guide plates are arranged in a stacked configuration relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the guide plane.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within a guide plane, comprising:

• a support structure;
• a main stage configured to hold a process object and to move, with the process object, relative to the support structure within a guide plane;
• and
• a substage situated relative to the main stage and the support structure, the substage being configured to mediate flow of a fluid to and from the main stage while the substage is being moved and positioned relative to the main stage,
• wherein the main stage and substage interrelate with each other via non-contacting plane bearings situated at respective interrelation portions of the main stage and substage at which the main stage and substage, respectively, interrelate with each other, and the flow of the fluid to and from the main stage occurs at the respective interrelation portions.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within an X-Y guide plane, the stage apparatus comprising:

• a support structure;
• a stage;
• multiple Y-axis guide members extending in a Y direction;
• a respective Y-axis slider associated with each Y-axis guide member, each Y-axis slider being situated and configured to slide in the Y direction along the respective Y-axis guide member;
• at least one X-axis guide member mounted to the Y-axis sliders and extending in an X direction between the Y-axis sliders;
• a respective X-axis slider situated and configured to slide in the X direction along the respective X-axis guide member, each X-axis slider being attached to the stage;
• at least one respective non-contacting air bearing situated between each guide member and the respective slider;
• and
• at least one respective gas cylinder situated and configured to drive each X-axis slider and the Y-axis sliders relative to the respective guide members.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within a guide plane and relative to an axis extending perpendicularly to the guide plane, comprising:

• a guide member;
• a slider situated relative to the guide member and configured to undergo a sliding motion in the guide plane relative to the guide member as guided by the guide member, the sliding motion being on at least one non-contacting gas bearing situated between the slider and the guide member;
• a stage attached to the slider;
• and
• a drive mechanism operably coupled to the slider so as to cause the sliding motion of the slider relative to the guide member, the drive mechanism comprising at least one linear motor and at least one gas cylinder, the gas cylinder being configured to provide a driving force, assisting a driving force imparted to the slider by the linear motor, during acceleration and deceleration of the slider.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within an X-Y guide plane that is perpendicular to an axis, comprising:

• a support structure comprising multiple Y-axis guide members extending in the Y direction;
• a respective Y-axis slider associated with each Y-axis guide member, each Y-axis slider comprising at least one gas bearing, each Y-axis slider being situated relative to the respective Y-axis guide member and being configured to slide on the at least one gas bearing relative to the respective Y-axis guide member, as guided by the respective Y-axis guide member, but without contacting the respective Y-axis guide member;
• an X-axis guide member attached to the Y-axis sliders and extending in the X direction relative to the Y-axis guide members;
• an X-axis slider comprising at least one gas bearing, the X-axis slider being situated relative to the X-axis guide member and being configured to slide on the at least one gas bearing relative to the X-axis guide member, as guided by the X-axis guide member, but without contacting the X-axis guide member;
• a stage mounted to the X-axis slider;
• and
• a respective drive mechanism associated with each of the Y-axis sliders and with the X-axis slider, each respective drive mechanism comprising a respective linear motor and a respective gas cylinder, each respective gas cylinder being connected to the respective at least one gas bearing so as to augment a driving force applied to the respective slider by the respective linear motor during acceleration and deceleration of the respective slider.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within a guide plane defined by first and second orthogonal dimensional axes, relative to a third axis perpendicular to the guide plane, the stage apparatus comprising:

• a support structure comprising two first-axis guide members extending in the first-axis direction;
• two first-axis sliders each comprising non-contacting gas bearings, each first-axis slider comprising an upper, a lower, a left, and a right sliding surface, the first-axis sliders being situated relative to respective first-axis guide members and configured to slide on the gas bearings relative to and as guided by the respective first-axis guide members;
• a second-axis guide member attached to and extending in the second-axis direction between the two first-axis sliders;
• a second-axis slider comprising non-contacting gas bearings, the second-axis slider being situated relative to the second-axis guide member and configured to slide on the gas bearings relative to and as guided by the second-axis guide member;
• a stage mounted to the second-axis slider;
• and
• a respective gas bearing situated on each of the upper, lower, left, and right sliding surfaces of one of the first-axis sliders, and a respective gas bearing situated on each of the upper and lower sliding surfaces of the other first-axis slider.

A stage apparatus for moving and positioning a stage within a guide plane defined by first and second orthogonal dimensional axes, the stage apparatus comprising:

• a support structure comprising at least one first-axis guide member extending in the first-axis direction;
• a respective first-axis slider associated with each first-axis guide member, each first-axis slider comprising multiple gas bearings configured to allow the first-axis slider to slide along the respective first-axis guide member, as guided by the first-axis guide member, without contacting the first-axis guide member;
• at least one second-axis guide member attached to the at least one first-axis slider and extending in the second-axis direction relative to the at least one first-axis slider;
• a respective second-axis slider associated with each second-axis guide member, each second-axis slider comprising multiple gas bearings configured to allow the second-axis slider to slide along the respective second-axis guide member, as guided by the second-axis guide member, without contacting the second-axis guide member;
• and
• a stage mounted to the at least one second-axis slider.