Gas-actuated stages including reaction-force-canceling mechanisms for use in charged-particle-beam microlithography systems

A stage device for moving and positioning a stage in an XY plane, comprising:

• a base;
• a stage supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base;
• an X-direction driver comprising a respective pneumatic actuator situated relative to the stage and base so as to move the stage in the X direction relative to the base;
• a Y-direction driver comprising a respective pneumatic actuator situated relative to the stage and base so as to move the stage in the Y direction relative to the base;
• and
• each pneumatic actuator comprising (a) a respective moving element linked to the stage side, (b) a respective fixed element supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base, and (c) a momentum-conservation mechanism by which the respective fixed element can be driven as a counter mass in a direction opposite to the stage-movement direction in response to a driving-reaction force of the stage applied to the respective moving element.

A charged-particle-beam microlithography apparatus, comprising:

• an illumination-optical system;
• a projection-optical system situated downstream of the illumination-optical system;
• and
• a stage device, comprising (a) a base, (b) a stage supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base, and (c) a pneumatic actuator situated relative to the stage and base and configured, whenever the pneumatic actuator is actuated by application of a gas pressure thereto, to move the stage relative to the base in a stage-movement direction so as to place the stage at a desired position relative to the base, the pneumatic actuator comprising (i) a moving element linked to the stage and a fixed element that supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base, and (ii) a momentum-conservation mechanism by which the fixed element can be driven as a counter mass in a direction opposite to the stage-movement direction in response to a driving-reaction force of the stage applied to the moving element.

A charged-particle-beam microlithography apparatus, comprising:

• an illumination-optical system;
• a projection-optical system situated downstream of the illumination-optical system;
• and
• a stage device, comprising (a) a base, (b) a stage supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base, (c) an X-direction driver comprising a respective pneumatic actuator situated relative to the stage and base so as to move the stage in the X direction relative to the base, and (d) a Y-direction driver comprising a respective pneumatic actuator situated relative to the stage and base so as to move the stage in the Y direction relative to the base, wherein each pneumatic actuator comprises (i) a respective moving element linked to the stage side, (ii) a respective fixed element supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base, and (iii) a momentum-conservation mechanism by which the respective fixed element can be driven as a counter mass in a direction opposite to the stage-movement direction in response to a driving-reaction force of the stage applied to the respective moving element.

In a method for holding an object on a stage relative to a base, a method for moving and positioning the object, while being held on the stage, relative to the base, the method comprising:

• linking the stage to the base by a pneumatic actuator comprising a moving element linked to the stage and a fixed element linked to the moving element, the fixed element being supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base;
• pneumatically driving the stage to move in a stage-movement direction relative to the base;
• and
• in response to a driving-reaction force of the stage as applied to the moving element in response to driving the stage, driving the fixed element as a counter mass in a direction opposite to the stage-movement direction.

In a method for holding an object on a stage relative to a base, a method for moving and positioning the object, while being held on the stage, relative to the base, the method comprising:

• linking the stage to the base by (a) an X-direction pneumatic actuator comprising a respective moving element linked to the stage and a respective fixed element linked to the respective moving element, the respective fixed element being supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base, and (b) a Y-direction pneumatic actuator comprising a respective moving element linked to the stage and a respective fixed element linked to the respective moving element, the respective fixed element being supported in a non-contacting manner relative to the base;
• pneumatically actuating the X-direction pneumatic actuator and Y-direction pneumatic actuator as required to move the stage in respective X and Y stage-movement directions in an XY plane relative to the base;
• and
• in response to a driving-reaction force of the stage as applied to the moving element in response to moving the stage, driving the fixed elements as respective counter masses in respective directions opposite to the stage-movement directions.