US 8,913,229 B2Granted

Multi-stage system, a control method therefor, and a lithographic apparatus

AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.

InventorsHans Butler, Johannes Petrus Martinus Bernardus Vermeulen

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Abstract

A method for controlling a multi-stage system includes a stator extending parallel to a first direction; a first and second stage that are moveable relative to the stator; the stages being provided with a magnet system to generate a magnetic field, and the stator being provided with coils to interact with the magnetic fields to position the stages relative to the stator, the method including: determining the position of the stages; selecting a first and a second subset of coils that are capable of having a non-negligible interaction with the magnetic field of respectively the first and the second stage; activating the coils of both subsets, wherein activating the coils includes determining the coils that are part of both subsets; and excluding a coil that is part of both subsets from activating.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A multi-stage system comprising:

a stator extending substantially parallel to a first direction;
a first stage that is moveable relative to the stator in the first direction;
a second stage that is moveable relative to the stator in the first direction;
wherein the first and second stage are each provided with a system of magnets to generate a magnetic field,
wherein the stator is provided with a plurality of electric coils, said electric coils being configured to interact with the magnetic fields generated by the system of magnets of the first and second stage in order to generate forces on the first and second stage to position them relative to the stator,
a sensor configured to determine the position of the first and second stage relative to the stator;
a controller configured to position the first and second stage relative to the stator in the first direction, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine the position of the first stage relative to the stator in the first direction based on an output of the sensor;
select a first subset of electric coils that are capable of having a non-negligible interaction with the magnetic field of the system of magnets of the first stage in the determined position of the first stage;
determine the position of the second stage relative to the stator in the first direction based on an output of the sensor;
select a second subset of electric coils that are capable of having a non-negligible interaction with the magnetic field of the system of magnets of the second stage in the determined position of the second stage;
and
activate the electric coils of the first and the second subset in order to position the first and the second stage relative to the stator,
wherein the controller is configured, prior to activating the electric coils of the first and second subset, to:
determine the electric coils that are part of both the first and the second subset;
and
exclude at least one electric coil that is part of both the first and the second subset from activating.

14 more elements

A method for controlling a multi-stage system comprising:

a stator extending substantially parallel to a first direction;
a first stage that is moveable relative to the stator in the first direction;
a second stage that is moveable relative to the stator in the first direction;
wherein the first and the second stage are each provided with a system of magnets to generate a magnetic field, and
wherein the stator is provided with a plurality of electric coils, said electric coils being configured to interact with the magnetic fields generated by the system of magnets of the first and second stage in order to generate forces on the first and second stage to position them relative to the stator in the first direction,
said method comprising:
determining the position of the first stage relative to the stator in the first direction;
selecting a first subset of electric coils that are capable of having a non-negligible interaction with the magnetic field of the system of magnets of the first stage in the determined position of the first stage;
determining the position of the second stage relative to the stator in the first direction;
selecting a second subset of electric coils that are capable of having a non-negligible interaction with the magnetic field of the system of magnets of the second stage in the determined position of the second stage;
and
activating the electric coils of the first and the second subset in order to position the first and second stage relative to the stator,
wherein activating the electric coils of the first and the second subset comprises:
determining the electric coils that are part of both the first and second subset;
and
excluding at least one electric coil that is part of both the first and second subset from activating.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/477,669Filed 22 May 2012 · us provisional application
Priority: 25 May 2011
Published: US 2012/0300186 A129 Nov 2012
Granted: 16 Dec 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G03F 7/70725
Stages: control
G03F 7/70716
Handling of masks or workpieces: stages
G05B 19/418
Electric: total factory control, i.e. centrally controlling a plurality of machines, e.g. direct or distributed numerical control [DNC], flexible…
Y02P 90/02
Enabling technologies with a potential contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation: total factory control, e.g. smart factories,…