Position adjusting device, assembling and adjusting method thereof and position adjusting method
By combining the micro-stage body, flexible hinge structure, spring assembly and piezoelectric actuator, high-precision and automated position adjustment is achieved, solving the problems of long leveling time, low accuracy and poor stability in traditional leveling and focusing, and meeting the needs of advanced photolithography technology.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-24
AI Technical Summary
In traditional micro-nano fabrication, mask and wafer leveling and focusing suffer from problems such as long leveling time, low accuracy, and poor stability. In particular, drift is prone to occur in temperature-changing environments, making it difficult to achieve automated and high-precision position adjustment.
The system employs a combination of a micro-motion stage, a flexible hinge structure, a spring assembly, a piezoelectric actuator, and a position monitoring module. The piezoelectric actuator is driven by an electronic control module to perform high-frequency iterative closed-loop adjustment, thereby achieving high-precision leveling and focusing of the part to be leveled.
It improves leveling accuracy and stability, reduces leveling time, can compensate for deformation caused by temperature fluctuations in real time, achieves sub-millimeter-level micro-displacement adjustment, reduces leveling difficulty, and improves production efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN121721908A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a position adjustment device and its assembly and adjustment method. Background Technology
[0002] In traditional micro / nano fabrication, leveling and focusing between the mask and the wafer are typically required to ensure precise transfer of micro / nano patterns to the wafer surface. In multi-field leveling and focusing using a wafer stage, each field requires adjustment of the entire wafer surface, and edge field leveling is affected by numerous factors, increasing leveling time. Complex feedback mechanisms and logic result in cumbersome control algorithms and heavy iterative calculations. Furthermore, the wafer surface may contain microscopic irregularities such as particles and scratches, which further affect the accuracy of leveling and focusing, leading to deviations in the transfer of micro / nano patterns. Simultaneously, existing techniques for leveling and focusing using a mask stage primarily rely on manually adjusting mechanical screws, which is insufficient for achieving nanometer-level precision. Moreover, environmental temperature fluctuations or thermal radiation during exposure can cause minute deformations in the mask stage, making it difficult to maintain a leveled state long-term. Traditional mechanical adjustment structures suffer from creep, backlash, and poor thermal stability, making them prone to drift during prolonged operation or in environments with temperature variations. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a position adjustment technology that can achieve automation, high precision, and high stability to overcome the shortcomings of existing manual adjustment methods and meet the needs of the development of advanced lithography technology. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, the present invention provides a position adjustment device and its assembly and adjustment method, which at least partially solves the above-mentioned technical problems.
[0004] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a position adjustment device, comprising: The micro-motion stage body includes an upper micro-motion stage body, a lower micro-motion stage body, and at least three flexible hinge structures. The upper micro-motion stage body and the lower micro-motion stage body are connected by the flexible hinge structures. The bottom surface of the lower micro-motion stage body is used to install the part to be leveled, and the flexible hinge structures are used for leveling and guiding the part to be leveled. At least three sets of spring assemblies are connected between the upper body and the lower body of the micro-motion stage to balance the weight and preload of the micro-motion stage body. One set of spring assemblies is set close to a flexible hinge structure. At least three piezoelectric actuators, one end of which passes through the upper body of the micro-motion stage and is installed on the upper body of the micro-motion stage respectively, and the other end of which passes through the flexible hinge structure and is fixed to the lower body of the micro-motion stage; The position monitoring module is used to acquire the position information of the part to be leveled; The electronic control module is used to control the piezoelectric actuator to produce telescopic deformation based on the position information, thereby adjusting the lateral tilt, longitudinal tilt, and lifting of the lower body of the micro-motion stage.
[0005] Preferably, the position monitoring module includes at least three capacitive sensors, one of which is located near the corresponding flexible hinge structure. One end of the capacitive sensor is mounted on the lower surface of the upper body of the micro-motion stage, and the other end is mounted on the upper surface of the lower body of the micro-motion stage.
[0006] Preferably, each spring assembly includes two springs symmetrically arranged on both sides of the flexible hinge structure.
[0007] Preferably, the number of capacitive sensors, flexible hinge structures, spring assemblies, and piezoelectric actuators are consistent.
[0008] Preferably, the flexible hinge structure is provided with flexible joints, and the planes on which all the flexible joints of the flexible hinge structure are located intersect at the exact center of the part to be leveled after being extended in space.
[0009] Preferably, the number of flexible hinge structures is four, and the four flexible hinge structures are arranged in a square.
[0010] Preferably, the number of flexible hinge structures is three, and the three flexible hinge structures are arranged in an equilateral triangle.
[0011] Preferably, the position adjustment device further includes a guide structure, which is sleeved on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator to prevent the piezoelectric actuator from shifting laterally.
[0012] Preferably, the position adjustment device further includes: an elastic shim disposed between the guide structure and the locking member, used to adjust the zero position and pitch angle of the piezoelectric actuator when the piezoelectric actuator of the position adjustment device is installed; and a locking member used to fasten the piezoelectric actuator and the guide structure.
[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method for assembling and adjusting a position adjusting device, comprising the following steps: A1: Install a spring assembly and a position monitoring module near the flexible hinge structure of the micro-motion stage body, and install a piezoelectric actuator on the aforementioned micro-motion stage body; A2: The position monitoring module collects the relative position information between the upper and lower bodies of the micro-motion stage. The electronic control module calculates the parallelism between the upper and lower bodies of the micro-motion stage based on the relative position information. If the parallelism does not reach the preset value, the electronic control module drives the piezoelectric actuator to adjust the position of the lower body of the micro-motion stage. A2 is executed repeatedly until the parallelism between the upper and lower bodies of the micro-motion stage reaches the expected value.
[0014] Preferably, the above assembly and adjustment method further includes the following steps: A3: Install fixing plates around the main body of the micro-motion stage to fix the relative positions of the upper body of the micro-motion stage and the lower body of the micro-motion stage. A4: Grind the bottom surface of the lower body of the micro-motion stage until the flatness of the bottom surface of the lower body of the micro-motion stage meets the expected requirements; A5: Remove the aforementioned fixing plate.
[0015] Preferably, step A1 includes: The piezoelectric actuator is installed on the micro-motion stage body by setting a guide structure and a locking member. The guide structure is sleeved on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator. An elastic shim is placed between the top of the guide structure and the locking member. The piezoelectric actuator and the guide structure are fastened by the locking member. The piezoelectric actuator is pre-tightened by the elastic shim to ensure the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body of the micro-motion stage after assembly and adjustment.
[0016] In a third aspect, the present invention provides a position adjustment method, employing any of the above-mentioned position adjustment devices, comprising the following steps: B1: Install the part to be leveled onto the bottom surface of the lower main body of the micro-motion table; B2: Based on the position information of the part to be leveled obtained by the position monitoring module, adjust the extension and retraction of the piezoelectric actuator respectively, thereby adjusting the lateral tilt, longitudinal tilt and lifting of the part to be leveled, so as to level and / or focus the part to be leveled. B3: After completing the leveling and / or focusing, adjust the piezoelectric actuator back to its initial state.
[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention provides a position adjustment device. A position monitoring module monitors the position of the part to be leveled, transmitting the position information electrical signal to an electronic control module. The inverse piezoelectric effect of a piezoelectric actuator generates corresponding stretching and deformation, driving the lower body of the micro-motion table to adjust the corresponding position. The piezoelectric actuator has an extremely fast response time, capable of real-time compensation for dynamic deformation caused by temperature fluctuations. Simultaneously, the piezoelectric actuator possesses high-precision displacement response capability, achieving sub-millimeter-level micro-displacement adjustment. This avoids the low leveling accuracy problems caused by thread clearance and idle stroke of traditional mechanical screws, reducing leveling difficulty, shortening leveling time, and improving production efficiency. Furthermore, the flexible hinge structure, piezoelectric actuator, and spring assembly work together to increase load capacity while ensuring leveling accuracy.
[0018] 2. This invention provides a position adjustment device. A flexible hinge structure includes flexible joints, and the planes of all flexible joints in the flexible hinge structure intersect at the exact center of the part to be leveled after spatial extension. Because the flexible joints act as guides, the deformation output by the piezoelectric actuator is transmitted along the direction of the flexible joints. Since the planes of all flexible joints intersect at the center of the part to be leveled, the deformation output by the piezoelectric actuator can be directly transmitted to the center of the part to be leveled. Using the center of the part to be leveled as the center of motion, the position of the part to be leveled can be moved or rotated, solving the problem of positional errors caused by eccentric movement or rotation of the part to be leveled and the need for repeated position compensation.
[0019] 3. This invention provides a method for assembling and adjusting a position adjustment device. First, the parallelism between the upper and lower bodies of the micro-motion stage is adjusted, followed by flatness adjustment. During parallelism adjustment, a position monitoring module collects the relative position information between the upper and lower bodies of the micro-motion stage. An electronic control module drives a piezoelectric actuator to adjust the position of the lower body of the micro-motion stage, ensuring the parallelism between them reaches the desired level. During flatness adjustment, fixing plates are installed around the micro-motion stage body, and then the bottom surface of the lower body is ground to eliminate flatness changes caused by pre-tightening. Furthermore, since the fixing plates lock the upper and lower bodies of the micro-motion stage body, damage to the flexible hinge structure with poor mechanical properties during grinding is avoided, thus preventing a decrease in adjustment accuracy due to damage to the flexible hinge structure and ensuring the adjustment accuracy of the position adjustment device.
[0020] 4. This invention provides a position adjustment method. Based on the position information obtained by the position monitoring module, and through the inverse piezoelectric effect of piezoelectric ceramics, the height or tilt angle can be locally adjusted by controlling the extension and retraction of a single piezoelectric actuator, thus improving both adjustment accuracy and stability. It avoids the problem of long leveling times in traditional leveling schemes, especially at edge fields. High consistency in multi-field control reduces the number of leveling loops caused by field changes. Furthermore, when used for leveling pattern forming devices, the manufacturing precision of the pattern forming device itself is far higher than that of the substrate, and its rigidity and cleanliness are superior, resulting in a better leveling starting point and significantly reducing interference factors during the leveling process. Attached Figure Description
[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the position adjustment device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the position adjustment device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] Figure 3This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the position adjustment device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] Figure 4 The data provided are test data of the capacitive sensor during the tilt step control process in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] Figure 5 These are pitch data and real-time data from the capacitive sensor obtained during testing in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the adjustment of the position of the micro-motion stage body according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] Marked in the image: 1-Leveling component, 2-Capacitive sensor, 3-Spring assembly, 4-Elastic pad, 5-Guide structure, 6-Micro stage main body, 61-Upper micro stage main body, 62-Lower micro stage main body, 63-Flexible hinge structure, 7-Locking component, 8-Piezoelectric actuator, 9-Connecting component. Detailed Implementation
[0028] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to specific embodiments. However, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention to the following embodiments; all technologies implemented based on the content of the present invention fall within the scope of the present invention.
[0029] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "center," "inner," and "outer," etc., used in the description of specific embodiments of the present invention to indicate orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product / equipment / device is usually placed during use. These terms are merely for the purpose of facilitating the description of the present invention or simplifying the description in specific embodiments, and for enabling those skilled in the art to quickly understand the solution, and do not indicate or imply that a particular device / component / element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific positional relationship. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.
[0030] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," "suspended," "parallel," and "coaxial" does not imply that the corresponding device / component / element must be absolutely horizontal, vertical, suspended, parallel, or coaxial. Slight tilt or deviation is permissible, as long as it does not affect the normal function of the relevant component. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical," not that the structure must be perfectly horizontal; a slight tilt is acceptable. "Coaxial" means that two components are arranged as coaxially as possible, allowing them to move coaxially or approximately coaxially when their relative positions change. Alternatively, it can be simplified to mean that the corresponding device / component / element, when arranged in "horizontal," "vertical," "suspended," "parallel," or "coaxial" directions, can have an error / deviation of ±10% relative to the corresponding direction, more preferably within ±8%, more preferably within ±6%, more preferably within ±5%, and more preferably within ±4%. For example, the deviation in the "coaxial" direction is controlled within 0.2-1mm, preferably within 0.2-0.5mm. As long as the corresponding device / component / element is within the error / deviation range, it can still achieve its function in the solution of the present invention.
[0031] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first," "second," and "third" in terminology is merely for distinguishing descriptions of identical or similar components and should not be interpreted as emphasizing or implying the relative importance of a particular component.
[0032] Furthermore, in the description of the embodiments of the present invention, "several", "more than", and "a number of" represent at least two. The number can be any number, such as two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine, and can even exceed nine.
[0033] Furthermore, in the description of the technical solution of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified / limited / restricted, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," "link," "provided with," "laid out," and "arranged" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to connection methods commonly used in the art, such as welding, riveting, bolting, and threaded connections. Such connections can be mechanical, electrical, or communication connections; they can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components.
[0034] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a position adjustment device includes: a micro-motion stage body 6, at least three sets of spring assemblies 3, at least three piezoelectric actuators 8, a position monitoring module, an electrical control module, etc.
[0035] The micro-motion stage body 6 includes an upper micro-motion stage body 61, a lower micro-motion stage body 62, and at least three flexible hinge structures 63. The upper micro-motion stage body 61 and the lower micro-motion stage body 62 are spaced apart. The lower micro-motion stage body 62 is used to mount the component to be leveled 1. The component to be leveled 1 can be any component that needs to be precisely leveled. The component to be leveled 1 can be a disc-shaped, plate-shaped structure, or even a cuboid, a platform, etc. The component to be leveled 1 is fixed to the lower micro-motion stage body 62 at at least three points, so that the position of the component to be leveled 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the lower micro-motion stage body 62.
[0036] The upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage are connected by at least three flexible hinge structures 63. The flexible hinge structures 63 are used for leveling and guiding the part 1 to be leveled. The flexible hinge structure 63 can be a circular flexible hinge, a right-angled flexible hinge, an elliptical flexible hinge, a parabolic flexible hinge, a V-shaped flexible hinge, etc. The flexible hinge structure 63 is preferably an elliptical flexible hinge. The elliptical flexible hinge has a horizontal tilt (Rx), a vertical tilt (Ry), and a vertical lift (z) stroke, which facilitates precise adjustment of the position of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage.
[0037] At least three sets of spring assemblies 3 are connected between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage. The number and position of the spring assemblies 3 correspond one-to-one with the flexible hinge structure 63. Each set of spring assemblies 3 is set close to a flexible hinge structure 63. The spring assemblies 3 are used to balance the weight and preload of the micro-motion stage body 6, so that the flexible hinge structure 63 can play its full role. The leveling accuracy of the micro-motion stage body 6 can be improved by the cooperation between the spring assemblies 3 and the flexible hinge structure 63.
[0038] At least three piezoelectric actuators 8 have one end passing through and mounted on the upper body 61 of the micro-motion stage, and the other end passing through the flexible hinge structure 63 and fixed to the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage. The number and position of the piezoelectric actuators 8 correspond one-to-one with the flexible hinge structure 63. The piezoelectric actuators 8 can directly convert electrical energy into mechanical displacement, thereby producing expansion and contraction deformation and achieving precise leveling. The piezoelectric actuators 8 can preferably be stacked piezoelectric actuators, composed of multiple thin-layer piezoelectric ceramics, which can provide nanometer-level resolution, extremely high rigidity, and huge output force, overcoming the shortcomings of traditional mechanical screws.
[0039] The position monitoring module is used to obtain the position information of the component to be leveled 1.
[0040] The electronic control module is used to control the piezoelectric actuator 8 to produce telescopic deformation based on the position information, and to adjust the lateral tilt (Rx), longitudinal tilt (Ry), and lifting (z) of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage.
[0041] The aforementioned position adjustment device obtains the position information of the component 1 to be leveled through the position monitoring module, calculates the position information through the adjustment algorithm, and transmits the adjustment parameters output by the electronic control module to the piezoelectric actuator 8 in the form of an electrical signal. The piezoelectric actuator 8 is driven by the inverse piezoelectric effect to generate a corresponding degree of extension and contraction deformation, which pushes the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage body 6 with flexible hinge structure 63 to adjust the position accordingly. Through high-frequency iterative closed loop, the high-precision leveling of the component 1 to be leveled is finally achieved.
[0042] The aforementioned position adjustment device employs at least three sets of spring assemblies 3, each mounted near at least three flexible hinges 63. Each set of spring assemblies 3 is positioned close to one flexible hinge structure 63 to ensure consistent preload, balance the weight of the micro-motion stage body 6 with the flexible hinge structure 63, and provide preload, facilitating the adjustment of the piezoelectric actuator 8's vertical stroke. Through the cooperation of the flexible hinge structure 63, the piezoelectric actuator 8, and the spring assemblies 3, the load capacity is increased while maintaining leveling accuracy.
[0043] In some embodiments, the position monitoring module may include at least three capacitive sensors 2, each capacitive sensor 2 being disposed near the corresponding flexible hinge structure 63, to facilitate accurate measurement of the relative position change between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage at each flexible hinge structure 63, thereby obtaining the accurate position of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage, and also to facilitate the individual adjustment of the stroke of each piezoelectric actuator 8 based on the position information of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage at each flexible hinge structure 63.
[0044] In some embodiments, flexible joints are provided on the flexible hinge structure 63, and the spatial planes of all flexible joints of the flexible hinge structure 63 intersect at the center of the leveling component 1. The flexible hinge structure 63 is flexible in a specific direction, allowing deformation in that direction, and rigid in other directions, resisting deformation. In this invention, the thin-walled portion of the flexible hinge structure 63 is flexible, forming flexible joints. By setting the spatial planes of all flexible joints of the flexible hinge structure 63 to intersect at the center of the leveling component 1, the deformation output by the piezoelectric actuator is transmitted along the direction of the flexible joints, directly to the center of the leveling component 1. Using the center of the leveling component 1 as the center of motion, the position of the leveling component 1 is moved or rotated, solving the problem of motion position error caused by eccentric movement or rotation of the leveling component 1 and the problem of repeated position compensation.
[0045] In some embodiments, the number of flexible hinge structures 63 can be four, arranged in a square, with the spatial planes of all flexible joints of all flexible hinge structures 63 intersecting the center of the leveling component 1. Furthermore, the number of spring assemblies 3 is also four, arranged in a square, with the center of the square and the center of the leveling component 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device, ensuring uniform force distribution on the four flexible hinge structures 63, thereby ensuring the flatness between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage. Furthermore, the number of capacitive sensors 2 is also four, arranged in a square, with the center of the square and the center of the leveling component 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device, enabling more accurate measurement of the positional changes of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage, and thus adjusting the deformation of the piezoelectric actuator 8 based on more accurate positional information. Furthermore, there are four piezoelectric actuators 8 arranged in a square, with the center of the square and the center of the component to be leveled 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device. This allows for more accurate adjustment of the position of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion table. Even further, four guide structures 5 are fitted around the piezoelectric actuators 8 to prevent lateral displacement. These guide structures 5 are also arranged in a square, with the center of the square and the center of the component to be leveled 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device. Based on the parallel four-bar principle, this embodiment designs the rotation centers of the flexible hinge structure 63, spring assembly 3, capacitive sensor 2, piezoelectric actuators 8, and guide structures 5 to be located on the central axis of the position adjustment device, thus facilitating alignment of the center of the component to be leveled 1 and reducing lateral displacement.
[0046] In some embodiments, the number of flexible hinge structures 63 can be three, arranged in an equilateral triangle, with the spatial planes of all flexible joints of all flexible hinge structures 63 intersecting at the center of the leveling component 1. Furthermore, the number of spring assemblies 3 is also three, arranged in an equilateral triangle, with the center of the equilateral triangle and the center of the leveling component 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device. Furthermore, the number of capacitive sensors 2 is also three, arranged in an equilateral triangle, with the center of the equilateral triangle and the center of the leveling component 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device. Furthermore, the number of piezoelectric actuators 8 is also three, arranged in an equilateral triangle, with the center of the equilateral triangle and the center of the leveling component 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device, thereby enabling more accurate adjustment of the position of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage. Furthermore, a guide structure 5 is fitted around the piezoelectric actuator 8 to prevent lateral displacement of the piezoelectric actuator 8. There are three guide structures 5 arranged in an equilateral triangle, with the center of the equilateral triangle and the center of the component to be leveled 1 both located on the central axis of the position adjustment device. Based on the principle of three points determining a plane, this embodiment designs the rotation centers of the flexible hinge structure 63, spring assembly 3, capacitive sensor 2, piezoelectric actuator 8, and guide structure 5 to be located at the center of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage, thereby facilitating alignment with the center of the component to be leveled 1 and reducing lateral displacement.
[0047] In some embodiments, the position adjustment device may further include an elastic shim 4 and a locking member 7. The elastic shim 4 is disposed between the guide structure 5 and the locking member 7, and is used to adjust the zero position and pitch angle of the piezoelectric actuator 8 when the piezoelectric actuator 8 of the position adjustment device is installed. The locking member 7 presses the elastic shim 4 and the guide structure 5 to secure the piezoelectric actuator 8 and the guide structure 5 to the upper body 61. The elastic shim 4 may include various thicknesses, which facilitates the installation of elastic shims 4 of different thicknesses on the top of the piezoelectric actuator 8, so that the piezoelectric actuator 8 has sufficient preload and ensures the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage after installation and adjustment. The elastic shim 4 may include multiple pieces, which facilitates the installation of different numbers of elastic shims 4 on the top of the piezoelectric actuator 8, so that the piezoelectric actuator 8 has sufficient preload and ensures the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage after installation and adjustment. When installing the piezoelectric actuator 8, the thicker elastic pad 4 can also be ground until the piezoelectric actuator 8 has sufficient preload to ensure the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion table after installation and adjustment. Furthermore, the locking component 7 can be a combination of screws, pins, bolts and nuts.
[0048] In some embodiments, a set of spring assemblies 3 may include two spring structures arranged symmetrically on both sides of the flexible hinge structure 63. This ensures consistent preload, balances the weight of the micro-motion stage body 6 with the flexible hinge structure 63, and facilitates preload adjustment and assembly of the piezoelectric actuator 8's vertical stroke.
[0049] In some embodiments, the lower end of the piezoelectric actuator 8 can be fixed to the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage via a connecting component 9. The connecting component 9 can be a universal joint or a fixed joint, etc.
[0050] In some embodiments, the flexible hinge structure 63 can be made of materials such as titanium alloy, which can meet the requirements for strength and adjustable stroke, and control the impact of the flatness of the mounting surface to the greatest extent.
[0051] In some embodiments, in order to ensure good mechanical performance, the upper body 61 of the micro-motion stage, the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage, and the flexible hinge structure 63 are integrally formed, that is, they are made from a single piece of material.
[0052] A method for assembling and adjusting a position adjustment device, after the position adjustment device is installed, firstly adjusting the parallelism between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage of the position adjustment device, and then adjusting the flatness, specifically includes assembling and adjusting any of the above-mentioned position adjustment devices, including the following steps: A1~A2 Parallelism Adjustment A1: Install a spring assembly 3 and a position monitoring module near the flexible hinge structure 63 of the micro-motion stage body 6, and install a piezoelectric actuator 8 on the micro-motion stage body 6.
[0053] In some embodiments, three or more sets of spring assemblies 3 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the micro-motion stage body 6. This arrangement is used to balance the weight of the micro-motion stage body 6 with the flexible hinge structure 63 and to pre-tighten it, thereby reducing the stress on the spring assemblies 3 and the flexible hinge structure 63. This facilitates the deformation output of the piezoelectric actuator 8 for adjusting the up and down stroke.
[0054] In some embodiments, the position monitoring module may include three or more capacitive sensors 2, with each capacitive sensor 2 positioned near the corresponding flexible hinge structure 63. The three or more capacitive sensors 2 are arranged in a centrally symmetrical manner with respect to the axis of the micro-motion stage body 6, which facilitates accurate measurement of the relative positional changes between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage at each flexible hinge structure 63.
[0055] In some embodiments, the piezoelectric actuator 8 is mounted on the micro-motion stage body 6 by providing a guide structure 5 and a locking member 7. The guide structure 5 is sleeved on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator 8 to prevent the piezoelectric actuator 8 from shifting laterally. An elastic gasket 4 is provided between the top of the guide structure 5 and the locking member 7, and the piezoelectric actuator 8 and the guide structure 5 are fastened by the locking member 7.
[0056] In some embodiments, pre-tightening can be achieved by adding multiple elastic pads 4, or elastic pads 4 of different thicknesses, or grinding thick elastic pads 4, so that the piezoelectric actuator 8 has sufficient preload and ensures the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage after installation and adjustment.
[0057] In some embodiments, the locking degree of the locking member 7 can be adjusted to ensure that the piezoelectric actuator 8 has sufficient preload, thereby ensuring the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage after assembly and adjustment.
[0058] A2: The position monitoring module collects the relative position information between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage. The electronic control module calculates the parallelism between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage based on the relative position information. If the parallelism does not reach the preset value, the electronic control module drives the piezoelectric actuator 8 to adjust the position of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage. A2 is executed repeatedly until the parallelism between the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage reaches the expected value.
[0059] In some embodiments, in order to further improve the adjustment accuracy of the position adjustment device, the installation and adjustment method of the position adjustment device also includes A3~A5 flatness adjustment.
[0060] A3: Install fixing plates around the micro-motion stage body 6 to fix the relative positions of the upper body 61 and the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage. In some embodiments, the fixing plate includes several side plates, each of which is fixed around the micro-motion stage body 6. Each side plate is fixedly connected to the upper micro-motion stage body 61 and the lower micro-motion stage body 62, thereby fixing the relative positions of the upper micro-motion stage body 61 and the lower micro-motion stage body 62. Further, there can be four side plates, which are fixed around the micro-motion stage body 6. Each side plate is locked to the upper micro-motion stage body 61 and the lower micro-motion stage body 62 via threaded connections.
[0061] A4: Grind the bottom surface of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage until the flatness of the bottom surface of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage meets the expected requirements.
[0062] A5: Remove the fixing plate.
[0063] In some embodiments, to ensure the adjustment accuracy of the position adjustment device, the following may be included: A6: testing the stroke, jitter error, and resolution of the position adjustment device.
[0064] The above-mentioned method for assembling and adjusting the position adjustment device involves pre-tightening by adding elastic shims 4 to ensure the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage after assembly and adjustment. The bottom surface of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage is used to install the leveling component 1. By fixing the micro-motion stage body, the bottom surface of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage is ground to ensure flatness and parallelism, which can greatly improve the installation accuracy of the position adjustment device, thereby ensuring the adjustment accuracy of the position adjustment device.
[0065] In some embodiments, four capacitive sensors 2 may be used in step A2 to record the initial position of the structure, with each capacitive sensor 2 installed near a flexible hinge structure 63.
[0066] In some embodiments, in step A2, eight springs with the same stiffness and initial length can be installed on both sides of the flexible hinge structure 63 to ensure consistent preload, balance the weight of the micro-motion stage body 6 with the flexible hinge structure and preload it, so as to facilitate the adjustment and assembly of the up and down stroke of the piezoelectric actuator 8.
[0067] A position adjustment method, employing any of the above-mentioned position adjustment devices, includes the following steps: B1: Install the part to be leveled onto the bottom surface of the lower body 62 of the micro-motion table; B2: such as Figure 6 As shown, based on the position information of the part to be leveled obtained by the position monitoring module, the extension and retraction of the piezoelectric actuator 8 are adjusted respectively, thereby adjusting the lateral tilt, longitudinal tilt and lifting of the part to be leveled, so as to level and / or focus the part to be leveled. B3: After completing the leveling and / or focusing, adjust the piezoelectric actuator 8 back to its initial state.
[0068] The above-mentioned position adjustment method obtains the position information of the part to be leveled through the position monitoring module, calculates the position information through the adjustment algorithm, and transmits the adjustment parameters to the piezoelectric actuator 8 by electrical signal. The piezoelectric actuator 8 is driven by the inverse piezoelectric effect to generate a corresponding degree of extension and contraction deformation, which pushes the lower body 62 of the micro-motion stage body 6 with flexible hinge structure to adjust the position of the corresponding position. The high-frequency iterative closed loop ultimately achieves high-precision leveling, which can achieve micro-displacement adjustment at the level of 0.1mm.
[0069] The aforementioned position adjustment method is directly driven by an electric field, avoiding the thread clearance and backlash issues of traditional mechanical screws. It allows for localized adjustment of height or tilt angle by controlling the extension and retraction of a single piezoelectric actuator 8, optimizing the optical path of the exposure area. This results in a smaller adjustment range, higher stability, and an extremely fast response time for the piezoelectric actuator 8, leading to faster leveling and real-time compensation for dynamic deformation caused by temperature fluctuations. It avoids the limitations of traditional leveling schemes on the edge field, offering flexible control and facilitating demolding. High consistency in multi-field control reduces the number of leveling loops caused by field changes and also reduces lateral deformation differences between multiple fields to some extent.
[0070] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the test data of the capacitive sensors (first, second, third, and fourth channels) during the Rx step control process are shown. The capacitive sensors are distributed at four points in a 75mm×75mm area. It can be seen that the first and second channels of the four capacitive sensors move in the same direction, and the third and fourth channels move in the same direction. Through multiple steps, the first and second channels eventually reach 250nm, and the third and fourth channels reach -250nm, achieving the control of the reference plane at 6.7urad.
[0071] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5 As shown, the pitch data obtained by the external sensor from the position adjustment device and the real-time data from the capacitive sensor (first channel, second channel, third channel, and fourth channel) indicate that the position adjustment device first generates a pitch deviation of about 50 urad through step control, and finally corrects to the initial state through multiple iterations.
[0072] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A position adjustment device, characterized in that, include: The micro-motion stage body (6) includes an upper micro-motion stage body (61), a lower micro-motion stage body (62), and at least three flexible hinge structures (63). The upper micro-motion stage body (61) and the lower micro-motion stage body (62) are connected by the flexible hinge structures (63). The bottom surface of the lower micro-motion stage body (62) is used to install the leveling component (1). The flexible hinge structures (63) are used for leveling and guiding the leveling component (1). At least three sets of spring assemblies (3) are connected between the upper body (61) of the micro-motion stage and the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage to balance the weight and preload of the micro-motion stage body (6). One set of the spring assemblies (3) is set close to one of the flexible hinge structures (63). At least three piezoelectric actuators (8) have one end passing through the upper body (61) of the micro-motion stage and installed on the upper body (61), and the other end passing through the flexible hinge structure (63) and fixed to the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage. The position monitoring module is used to acquire the position information of the leveling component (1); The electrical control module is used to control the piezoelectric actuator (8) to generate telescopic deformation according to the position information, and to adjust the lateral tilt, longitudinal tilt and lifting of the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage.
2. The position adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The position monitoring module includes at least three capacitive sensors (2). One of the capacitive sensors (2) is located near the corresponding flexible hinge structure (63). One end of the capacitive sensor (2) is installed on the lower surface of the upper body (61) of the micro-motion stage, and the other end is installed on the upper surface of the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage. Each set of spring assemblies (3) includes two springs symmetrically arranged on both sides of the flexible hinge structure (63).
3. The position adjustment device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of the capacitive sensor (2), the flexible hinge structure (63), the spring assembly (3), and the piezoelectric actuator (8) are the same. The flexible hinge structure (63) is provided with flexible joints. The planes on which all the flexible joints of the flexible hinge structures (63) are located intersect at the center of the leveling component (1) after being extended in space.
4. The position adjustment device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of the flexible hinge structures (63) is four, and the four flexible hinge structures (63) are arranged in a square. Alternatively, the number of the flexible hinge structures (63) is three, and the three flexible hinge structures (63) are arranged in an equilateral triangle.
5. The position adjustment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A guide structure (5) is fitted outside the piezoelectric actuator (8) to prevent the piezoelectric actuator (8) from shifting laterally.
6. The position adjustment device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: An elastic pad (4) is disposed between the guide structure (5) and the locking member (7) for adjusting the zero position and pitch angle of the piezoelectric actuator (8) when the position adjustment device is installed; Locking element (7) is used to fasten the piezoelectric actuator (8) and the guide structure (5).
7. A method for assembling and adjusting a position adjustment device, characterized in that, The assembly and adjustment of the position adjustment device as described in any one of claims 1-6 includes the following steps: A1: Install a spring assembly (3) and a position monitoring module near the flexible hinge structure (63) of the micro-motion stage body (6), and install a piezoelectric actuator (8) on the micro-motion stage body (6). A2: The position monitoring module collects the relative position information between the upper body (61) and the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage. The electronic control module calculates the parallelism between the upper body (61) and the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage based on the relative position information. If the parallelism does not reach the preset value, the electronic control module drives the piezoelectric actuator (8) to adjust the position of the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage. A2 is executed repeatedly until the parallelism between the upper body (61) and the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage reaches the expected value.
8. The method for assembling and adjusting the position adjusting device according to claim 7, characterized in that, It also includes the following steps: A3: Install fixing plates around the micro-motion stage body (6) to fix the relative positions of the upper body (61) of the micro-motion stage and the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage; A4: Grind the bottom surface of the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage until the flatness of the bottom surface of the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage meets the expected requirements; A5: Remove the aforementioned fixing plate.
9. The method for assembling and adjusting the position adjusting device according to any one of claims 7-8, characterized in that, Step A1 includes: The piezoelectric actuator (8) is installed on the micro-motion stage body (6) by setting a guide structure (5) and a locking member (7). The guide structure (5) is sleeved on the outside of the piezoelectric actuator (8). An elastic pad (4) is set between the top of the guide structure (5) and the locking member (7). The piezoelectric actuator (8) and the guide structure (5) are fastened by the locking member (7). The piezoelectric actuator (8) is pre-tightened by the elastic pad (4) to ensure the consistency and parallelism of the pitch of the lower body (62) of the micro-motion stage after installation and adjustment.
10. A position adjustment method, characterized in that, The position adjustment device as described in any one of claims 1-6 includes the following steps: B1: Install the part to be leveled on the bottom surface of the lower body (62) of the micro-motion table; B2: Based on the position information of the part to be leveled obtained by the position monitoring module, adjust the extension and retraction of the piezoelectric actuator (8) respectively, thereby adjusting the lateral tilt, longitudinal tilt and lifting of the part to be leveled, so that the part to be leveled can be leveled and / or focused. B3: After leveling and / or focusing is completed, adjust the piezoelectric actuator (8) back to its initial state.