Pressure device and elastic support member

Abstract

To provide a pressure device having a support part for a tilt stage that can adjust a tilt with high precision and can favorably support force from a pressure surface.SOLUTION: A pressure device includes: a tilt stage with a pressure surface that presses against an object to be pressed and whose tilt can be changed; a base disposed on an opposite side of the tilt stage from the pressure surface; a support part that connects the base and the tilt stage so that the tilt stage can tilt around a fulcrum on a central axis; and an expandable member, one end of which contacts the tilt stage and the other end of which contacts the base and is sandwiched between the tilt stage and the base, and the length between the one end and the other end of which is changeable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pressure device that requires a high level of parallelism between a pressure surface and an object to be pressured, and an elastic support member used in such a pressure device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, pressure devices used in manufacturing processes where components are arranged at high density may require a high level of parallelism between the pressure surface and the placement surface on which the pressure object is placed or the surface of the pressure object itself. One example of such a pressure device has been proposed, in which a head having a pressure surface is supported by three expandable piezoelectric actuators, and the inclination of the pressure surface can be adjusted by expanding or contracting the piezoelectric actuators (see Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0003] However, in conventional pressure devices using piezoelectric actuators, tilting the pressure surface causes a problem in that a force acts on the piezoelectric actuator, bending the piezoelectric actuator. For example, as the deflection of the piezoelectric actuator increases, the force from the pressure surface that can support the piezoelectric actuator without damaging it weakens. On the other hand, in the case of a conventional structure in which a head is supported by a piezoelectric actuator, changing the pressure surface so that it can tilt independently of the piezoelectric actuator causes a problem in that the adjustment accuracy and resolution of the pressure surface tilt decrease. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-51328 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and relates to a pressure device having a support part for a tilt stage that can adjust the tilt with high precision and can suitably support the force from the pressure surface, and an elastic support member that supports such a tilt stage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the pressure device according to the present disclosure comprises: a tilt stage having a pressure surface that is pressed against a pressure object and whose tilt is changeable; a base disposed on the opposite side of the tilt stage from the pressure surface; a support portion that connects the base and the tilt stage so that the tilt stage can tilt around a fulcrum on a central axis; an expandable member, one end of which contacts the tilt stage and the other end of which contacts the base and is sandwiched between the tilt stage and the base, and the length between the one end and the other end of which is changeable.

[0007] The pressure device according to the present disclosure has a support part that connects the tilt stage and the base, separate from the telescopic member, which reduces the force transmitted from the pressure surface to the telescopic member and can effectively support the force from the pressure surface. Furthermore, because it has a support part, the tilt of the tilt stage can be adjusted with high precision even if the telescopic member is not fixed to the base and tilt stage.

[0008] Furthermore, for example, the support portion may be an elastic support member having one end fixed to the base and the other end fixed to the tilt stage, and elastically deforming so that at least a portion of the support portion in the central axis direction is bent.

[0009] In this type of pressure device, the elastic support member firmly connects the base and tilt stage, thereby further reducing the load on the expandable member. Also, because the elastic support member can connect the tilt stage and base without a part where the contact surfaces of the members move relative to each other by sliding or rotating, this type of pressure device can adjust the tilt of the tilt stage with high precision.

[0010] Furthermore, for example, at least one of the end of the extendable member that contacts the tilt stage and the other end that contacts the base may have a convex curved surface of revolution.

[0011] Such an expandable member prevents the expandable member from being bent in the pressure direction even when the tilt stage is tilted, and can prevent damage caused by the force transmitted from the pressure surface.

[0012] Also, for example, at least one of the stage contact portion of the tilt stage with which one end of the extendable member contacts and the base contact portion of the base with which the other end of the extendable member contacts may have a concave curved surface of rotation.

[0013] This type of pressure device can prevent the expandable member from being bent in the direction of pressure even when the tilt stage is tilted, thereby preventing damage to the expandable member.It also prevents the contact positions where one end and the other end of the expandable member come into contact with the tilt stage and the base from accidentally shifting, making it possible to adjust the tilt of the tilt stage with high precision.

[0014] Also, for example, the elastic member may include a piezoelectric actuator.

[0015] The expansion and contraction members with piezoelectric actuators can be finely adjusted in length, allowing the pressure device to adjust the tilt of the tilt stage with high precision. Furthermore, because the support member reduces the force transmitted from the pressure surface to the expansion and contraction members, the pressure device can effectively support the force from the pressure surface even if the expansion and contraction members have piezoelectric actuators containing brittle materials.

[0016] Furthermore, for example, the pressure device according to the present disclosure includes at least two of the elastic members, Each contact position of one end of each of the two extendable members with the tilt stage and the intersection point of the central axis of the support portion with the tilt stage may form a triangle having these vertices.

[0017] In such a pressure device, the orientation of the pressure surface can be adjusted to any direction within the adjustment range.

[0018] Also, for example, in the triangle, the length of the side connecting the contact position of one of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis may be different from the length of the side connecting the contact position of the other of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis.

[0019] Such a pressure device can reduce the amount of change in the length of the expandable member required to change the orientation of the pressure surface in any direction.

[0020] Also, for example, in the triangle, the side connecting the contact position of one of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis may intersect at a right angle with the side connecting the contact position of the other of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis.

[0021] In such a pressure device, the relationship between the change in the orientation of the pressure surface and the change in the length of the expandable member is simple, so that the control of the tilt adjustment of the tilt stage can be simplified and increased in speed.

[0022] Furthermore, for example, the support portion may be an elastic support member having one end fixed to the base and the other end fixed to the tilt stage, and elastically deforming so that at least a portion of the support portion in the central axis direction is bent, The elastic support member may have a first direction low rigidity portion having anisotropic flexibility that easily bends in a direction approximately parallel to a side in the triangle connecting the contact position of one of the two elastic members to the intersection of the central axis, and a second direction low rigidity portion having anisotropic flexibility that easily bends in a direction approximately parallel to a side in the triangle connecting the contact position of the other of the two elastic members to the intersection of the central axis.

[0023] In such a pressure device, changes in the length of one of the expandable members correspond to deformation of the low rigidity section in the first direction, and changes in the length of the other expandable member correspond to deformation of the low rigidity section in the second direction, thereby achieving stable tilt stage inclination adjustment operation with little variation.

[0024] Furthermore, for example, the elastic support member may have a rigid portion that is arranged closer to the base than the tilt stage, and a flexible portion that is arranged closer to the tilt stage than the rigid portion and is more flexible than the rigid portion.

[0025] Such an elastic support member responds to the tilt of the tilt stage by elastic deformation of the flexible portion close to the tilt stage, so that the portion of the elastic support member that is non-parallel to the pressure direction can be limited to a narrow range.

[0026] Furthermore, for example, the elastic support member may be a columnar member having a rigid portion and a flexible portion that is more flexible than the rigid portion and that are arranged to be shifted from each other in the central axis direction, The flexible portion may have a first-direction low-rigidity portion that is cut approximately symmetrically from the side of the elastic support member toward the central axis and then sandwiched between a pair of first notches that extend parallel to the central axis on either side of the central axis for a predetermined length, and a second-direction low-rigidity portion that is cut approximately symmetrically from the side of the elastic support member toward the central axis and then sandwiched between a pair of second notches that extend parallel to the central axis on either side of the central axis for a predetermined length and whose symmetry reference plane is approximately perpendicular to the pair of first notches.

[0027] The flexible portion of such an elastic support member is capable of following and supporting the tilt of the tilt stage, and the vertical arrangement of the first direction low rigidity portion and the second direction low rigidity portion provides stable support force and operation as well as suitable durability.

[0028] Furthermore, for example, the pressure device according to the present disclosure may have at least two of the elastic members, a contact position of one end of each of the two telescopic members with the tilt stage and an intersection point of the central axis of the support portion with the tilt stage may form a right triangle having these as vertices, The side of the right triangle connecting the contact position of one of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis may be approximately perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane of the pair of first notches, and the side of the right triangle connecting the contact position of the other of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis may be approximately perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane of the pair of second notches.

[0029] In this type of pressure device, a change in the length of one of the expandable members corresponds to a deformation of the first-direction low-rigidity section, and a change in the length of the other expandable member corresponds to a deformation of the second-direction low-rigidity section. Furthermore, because the triangles form a right-angled triangle, the relationship between a change in the orientation of the pressure surface and the amount of change in the length of the expandable member is simple. Furthermore, the elastic support member exhibits stable support force and operation as well as favorable durability due to the perpendicular arrangement of the first-direction low-rigidity section and the second-direction low-rigidity section.

[0030] Also, for example, the first direction low rigidity portion and the second direction low rigidity portion may be formed in opposite directions with respect to the central axis direction, and may be formed so that at least a portion of them overlap with each other with respect to the central axis direction.

[0031] Such an elastic support member can reduce the overall length in the axial direction, making it possible to miniaturize the device. Furthermore, the shortened overall length reduces the bending moment, improving durability.

[0032] Furthermore, for example, the elastic support member may have a stopper whose tip protrudes into one of the pair of first notches and the pair of second notches, and whose protrusion amount of the tip is adjustable.

[0033] The stopper prevents the elastic support member from being excessively deformed, and prevents unexpected force from being applied to the elastic support member itself or the expandable member, etc. Even if processing errors occur in the cuts in the elastic support member, the movable range of the first-direction and second-direction low-rigidity sections can be appropriately set by adjusting the protrusion amount of the stopper.

[0034] Further, an elastic support member according to the present disclosure is an elastic support member that connects a tilt stage whose tilt cannot be changed and a base that supports the tilt stage, The elastic support member is columnar and has a rigid portion and a flexible portion that is more flexible than the rigid portion, the rigid portion being positioned offset from each other in the central axis direction.

[0035] Such an elastic support member firmly connects the base and tilt stage, thereby further reducing the load on an expandable member that is also used to adjust the tilt. Furthermore, because the elastic support member can connect the tilt stage and base without a part where the surfaces of the members slide and move relative to each other, the use of such an elastic support member makes it possible to adjust the tilt of the tilt stage with high precision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pressure device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 2A is an enlarged view (front view) showing the periphery of a support part of the pressure device shown in FIG. [Figure 2B] 2B is an enlarged view (perspective view) showing the periphery of the support part of the pressure device shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the periphery of the support portion shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the arrangement of the support parts and the like relative to the tilt stage. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an elastic support portion that constitutes the support portion of the pressure device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged view showing a flexible portion of the elastic support member. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the flexible portion shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the elastic support member. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a front view of the periphery of a support portion of a pressure device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a right side view of the periphery of a support portion of a pressure device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the tip of the stopper shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the periphery of a support portion of a pressure device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.

[0038] First embodiment 1 is an external view of a pressure device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The pressure device 10 includes a frame 12, a drive unit 13, an output shaft 14, a base 20, a tilt stage 30, and a mounting stage 15. As shown in FIG. 1, the pressure device 10 applies pressure to a pressure object 90 on the mounting stage 15 provided below the frame 12 by pressing a pressure surface 32, which is the lower surface of the tilt stage 30, from above against the pressure object 90.

[0039] A drive unit 13 is provided on the upper part of the frame 12. The force of the drive unit 13 is transmitted to the base 20, tilt stage 30, pressure target 90, etc. via an output shaft 14 extending downward from the drive unit 13. In the pressure device 10, the base 20, tilt stage 30, etc. constitute a pressure surface variable support unit 18. The pressure surface variable support unit 18 is capable of changing the inclination of the pressure surface 32 of the tilt stage 30, and transmits the force from the drive unit 13 to the pressure surface 32 of the tilt stage 30.

[0040] Fig. 2A is a front view showing the variable pressure surface support unit 18 of the pressure device 10 shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 2B is a perspective view of the variable pressure surface support unit 18. As shown in Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B, the variable pressure surface support unit 18 has a tilt stage 30, a base 20, a support unit 50, an expandable member 40 (only the first expandable member 41 is shown in Fig. 2A), a spring 61, etc.

[0041] The tilt stage 30 has a pressure surface 32 that is pressed against an object to be pressed. The tilt stage 30 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape (see FIG. 4), but the shape of the tilt stage 30 is not limited to a rectangular flat plate. The tilt stage 30 may have a shape other than a rectangular flat plate, such as a disk, a prism, or a cylinder, and may have any shape as long as it has the pressure surface 32 on the surface in the pressure direction (the lower surface in this embodiment).

[0042] As will be described later, the tilt stage 30 is capable of changing the tilt of the pressure surface 32 (which can also be said as the orientation of the pressure surface 32 (the normal direction of the pressure surface 32)).

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the base 20 is disposed on the opposite side of the tilt stage 30 from the pressure surface 32. As shown in FIG. 1, the output shaft 14 is connected to the top surface of the base 20, which is the surface facing away from the tilt stage 30. Between the base 20 and the tilt stage 30, a support unit 50, a first telescopic member 41, a second telescopic member 42, a spring 61, and a spring 62 are disposed. Note that the second telescopic member 42 and the spring 62 are hidden behind the support unit 50 in FIG. 2A and are not visible (see FIGS. 2B and 4).

[0044] The support part 50 connects the base 20 and the tilt stage 30. The support part 50 is made of a solid material such as metal or resin, and is preferably made of a metal material from the viewpoint of rigidity. The support part 50 connects the tilt stage 30 to the base 20 so that the tilt stage 30 can tilt around a fulcrum 51a on the central axis 51 of the support part 50 (see FIG. 5).

[0045] Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the variable pressure surface support unit 18 shown in Fig. 2A. As shown in Fig. 3, the support unit 50 has one end 50a fixed to the tilt stage 30 and the other end 50b shown in Fig. 5 fixed to the base 20, and is an elastic support member that elastically deforms so that a flexible portion 54, which is at least a part of the support unit 50 in the direction of the central axis 51, bends. The detailed structure of the support unit 50 will be described later.

[0046] 3, the first telescopic member 41 is sandwiched between the tilt stage 30 and the base 20, with one end 41a in contact with the tilt stage 30 and the other end 41b in contact with the base 20. The first telescopic member 41 has an internal piezo actuator that allows the length between the one end 41a and the other end 41b to be changed. That is, the pressure device 10 sends a drive signal to the piezo actuator of the first telescopic member 41 to change the length of the first telescopic member 41, thereby changing the tilt of the tilt stage 30.

[0047] 3, one end 41a of the first telescopic member 41 is not fixed to the tilt stage 30, unlike one end 50a of the support part 50. Furthermore, the other end 41b of the first telescopic member 41 is not fixed to the base 20, unlike the other end 50b of the support part 50. The one end 41a and the other end 41b of the first telescopic member 41 are pressed against the stage contact part 31a of the tilt stage 30 and the base contact part 21a of the base 20, respectively, by the elastic force of a spring 61.

[0048] 2A and 3, spring 61, which elastically connects the upper surface of tilt stage 30 and the lower surface of base 20, is provided to sandwich first expandable member 41 between support part 50. Therefore, even if the length of first expandable member 41 changes due to driving of the piezo actuator, one end 41a and the other end 41b of first expandable member 41 always reliably maintain contact with tilt stage 30 or base 20.

[0049] 3, the first telescopic member 41 has at least one (in this embodiment, both) of one end 41a that contacts the tilt stage 30 and the other end 41b that contacts the base 20, which has a convex curved surface of revolution (a spherical surface in this embodiment). Because the one end 41a and the other end 41b of the first telescopic member 41 have a convex spherical surface of revolution, even if the tilt stage 30 is tilted with respect to the base 20, the first telescopic member 41 is prevented from being bent in the pressure direction, and damage to the piezo actuator and other components built into the first telescopic member 41 can be prevented.

[0050] 3, at least one (in the embodiment, both) of the stage contact portion 31a of the tilt stage 30, which contacts one end 41a of the first telescopic member 41, and the base contact portion 21a of the base 20, which contacts the other end 41b of the first telescopic member 41, has a concave curved surface of revolution (a spherical or conical side surface in the embodiment). Even when the tilt stage 30 is tilted, this pressure device 10 can prevent the first telescopic member 41 from being bent in the pressure application direction, thereby preventing damage to the first telescopic member 41. This also prevents unintended misalignment of the contact positions between the one end 41a and the other end 41b of the first telescopic member 41 and the tilt stage 30 and the base 20. Therefore, this pressure device 10 can adjust the tilt of the tilt stage 30 with high precision.

[0051] Fig. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the arrangement of the support part 50, the first telescopic member 41, and the second telescopic member 42 relative to the tilt stage 30. Fig. 4 is a diagram of the tilt stage 30 viewed from the pressure direction (above), and shows the arrangement of the support part 50, the first telescopic member 41, the second telescopic member 42, the spring 61, and the spring 62.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 4, the pressure applying device 10 has two expandable members 40, a first expandable member 41 and a second expandable member 42. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the first expandable member 41 and the second expandable member 42 are arranged between the base 20 and the tilt stage 30 so as to be approximately parallel to the central axis 51 of the support part 50. The second expandable member 42 shown in Fig. 4 is similar to the first expandable member 41 described using Figs. 2 and 3, except that its arrangement in the horizontal direction (the direction perpendicular to the pressure applying direction) is different, and therefore a detailed description of the structure of the second expandable member 42 will be omitted.

[0053] 4, the support part 50 is disposed in the center of the tilt stage 30. The intersection 35 of the central axis 51 (see FIG. 5) of the support part 50 with the tilt stage 30 substantially coincides with the center of the tilt stage 30 (the center of the inscribed circle).

[0054] 4, contact positions 33 and 34 of one end portion 41a and 42a of two telescopic members 40, a first telescopic member 41 and a second telescopic member 42, with the tilt stage 30 and an intersection point 35 of the central axis 51 of the support portion 50 with the tilt stage 30 form a triangle 36 with these vertices. In this pressure device 10, the pressure surface 32 of the tilt stage 30 can be oriented in any direction within the adjustment range. Note that when one end portion 41a and 42a is in surface contact with the tilt stage 30, the contact positions 33 and 34 correspond to the center of gravity of the contact surface.

[0055] Furthermore, in the triangle 36 formed by the contact positions 33, 34 and the intersection point 35, the length of the side 36a connecting the first telescopic member 41 and the support unit 50 may be different from the length of the side 36b connecting the second telescopic member 42 and the support unit 50. Here, the side 36a is defined as the side connecting from the contact position 33 of the first telescopic member 41, which is one of the two telescopic members 40, with the tilt stage 30 to the intersection point 35 of the central axis 51. Also, here, the side 36b is defined as the side connecting from the contact position 34 of the second telescopic member 42, which is the other of the two telescopic members 40, with the tilt stage 30 to the intersection point 35 of the central axis 51.

[0056] Because the length of the side 36a connecting the first elastic member 41 and the support portion 50 is different from the length of the side 36b connecting the second elastic member 42 and the support portion 50, such a pressure applying device 10 can reduce the amount of change in the length of the first elastic member 41 and the second elastic member 42 required to change the orientation of the pressure applying surface 32 to any direction compared to when the lengths of the sides 36a and 36b are the same.

[0057] Furthermore, in the triangle 36 formed by the contact positions 33, 34 and the intersection point 35, the side 36a connecting the first telescopic member 41 and the support part 50 may intersect at a right angle with the side 36b connecting the second telescopic member 42 and the support part 50, so that the triangle 36 may form a right-angled triangle. In this type of pressure device 10, the relationship between the change in the orientation of the pressure surface 32 and the amount of change in the length of the telescopic members 41, 42 is simple, so that the control of the tilt adjustment of the tilt stage 30 can be simplified and accelerated.

[0058] 2A and 3. As shown in Fig. 5, the support part 50 has a cylindrical outer shape extending along the central axis 51. However, the shape of the support part 50 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and it may be a rectangular pillar or other shape (see the second embodiment).

[0059] One end 50a of the support part 50 is fixed to the tilt stage 30 via multiple bolts 63, 64 as shown in Fig. 3, and the other end 50b of the support part 50 shown in Fig. 5 is also fixed to the base 20 via multiple bolts, similar to the one end 50a. The fixed points between the support part 50 and the tilt stage 30 or the base 20 and the interior of the support part 50 do not include any part where the contact surfaces of the members slide or rotate and move relative to each other. In other words, the support part 50 is an elastic support member that allows the tilt stage 30 to tilt in accordance with the extension and contraction of the expandable member 40 by elastically deforming so that at least a portion of the support part 50 in the direction of the central axis 51 bends.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 5, the support part 50 has a rigid part 52 that is arranged closer to the base 20 than the tilt stage 30, and a flexible part 54 that is arranged closer to the tilt stage 30 than the rigid part 52 and is more flexible than the rigid part 52. Fig. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the support part 50 taken along a plane that passes through the central axis 51 and is perpendicular to Fig. 5(a), and Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the support part 50 taken along a plane similar to the cross-section shown in Fig. 5(a).

[0061] As shown in Figures 5, 6(a) and 6(b), the flexible portion 54 in the support portion 50 has a first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 sandwiched between a pair of first notches 58 and a second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 sandwiched between a pair of second notches 59.

[0062] 6(a), the pair of first cuts 58 forming the first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 is composed of first cuts 58a and 58b that are mirror-symmetric with respect to a symmetry reference plane 58c that passes through the central axis 51. The first cuts 58a and 58b are cut substantially symmetrically from the side surface 50c of the support portion 50 toward the central axis 51, and then extend a predetermined length in parallel to the central axis 51, sandwiching the central axis 51 therebetween. That is, the first cuts 58a and 58b have distance-changing portions 58ab and 58bb that approach each other from the side surface 50c toward the central axis 51, and parallel portions 58aa and 58ba that extend in parallel to the central axis 51, sandwiching the central axis 51 therebetween.

[0063] Further, first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 has inclined portion 56b sandwiched between distance-changing portions 58ab, 58bb, and flat portion 56a sandwiched between parallel portions 58aa, 58ba. Fig. 7 is a partially enlarged perspective view of flexible portion 54 of support portion 50, and Figs. 8(a), 8(b), and 8(c) are cross-sectional perspective views of flexible portion 54 taken along cross-sectional lines a-a, bb, and cc shown in Fig. 7.

[0064] 8(a) to 8(c), a gap is formed by the pair of first cutouts 58a, 58b around the first-direction low-rigidity portion 56. Therefore, the flexible portion 54 of the support part 50 exhibits relatively low rigidity against a force in a direction perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane 58c of the pair of first cutouts 58 due to the narrow thickness of the flat plate portion 56a of the first-direction low-rigidity portion 56. In other words, the first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 has anisotropic flexibility that makes it easy to bend in a direction perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane 58c.

[0065] 6(b), the pair of second cuts 59 forming the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 are composed of second cuts 59a and 59b that are mirror-symmetric with respect to a symmetry reference plane 59c that passes through the central axis 51. The second cuts 59a and 59b are cut substantially symmetrically from the side surface 50c of the support portion 50 toward the central axis 51, and then extend a predetermined length in parallel to the central axis 51, sandwiching the central axis 51 therebetween. Similar to the first cuts 58a and 58b, the second cuts 59a and 59b have distance-changing portions 59ab and 59bb that approach each other from the side surface 50c toward the central axis 51, and parallel portions 59aa and 59ba that extend in parallel to the central axis 51, sandwiching the central axis 51 therebetween.

[0066] However, the symmetry reference plane 59c of the pair of second cuts 59 is approximately perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane 58c of the pair of first cuts 58. Furthermore, the pair of first cuts 58 are cut from top to bottom, whereas the pair of second cuts 59 are cut from bottom to top.

[0067] 6(b), the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 has an inclined portion 57b sandwiched between the distance-changing portions 59ab and 59bb, and a flat portion 57a ​​sandwiched between the parallel portions 59aa and 59ba. As can be seen from a comparison between FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), the first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 and the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 are formed in opposite directions with respect to the direction of the central axis 51, and are formed so that at least portions (particularly the flat portion 56a and the flat portion 57a) overlap with each other with respect to the direction of the central axis 51.

[0068] As shown in FIGS. 5, 6(b), and 8(c), a gap is formed around the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 by the pair of second cutouts 59a, 59b. Therefore, the flexible portion 54 of the support member 50 exhibits relatively low rigidity against a force in a direction perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane 59c of the pair of second cutouts 59 due to the narrow thickness of the flat portion 57a ​​of the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57. In other words, the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 has anisotropic flexibility that makes it easy to bend in a direction perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane 59c. Note that the central common portion 56 / 57 shown in FIG. 8(c) is a common portion between the first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 and the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57, and is formed in the center of the flexible portion 54 along the central axis 51.

[0069] 5, flexible portion 54 is formed between the upper end of first notch 58a and the lower ends of second notches 59a and 59b in the direction of central axis 51. Flexible portion 54 has first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 and second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, and is therefore more flexible than rigid portion 52 and second rigid portion 55, which are positioned at different positions in the direction of central axis 51. Note that rigid portion 52 is formed between the other end portion 50b and the upper ends of first notches 58a and 58b, and second rigid portion 55 is formed between the lower ends of second notches 59a and 59b and one end portion 50a.

[0070] The support section 50, in which the first-direction low-rigidity section 56 and the second-direction low-rigidity section 57 exhibit anisotropic flexibility, may be arranged so that the symmetry reference planes 58c, 59c of the support section 50 are approximately perpendicular to the sides 36a, 36b of the right-angled triangle 36 shown in Fig. 4. That is, the support section 50 is arranged so that the side 36a connecting the contact position 33 of the first elastic member 41 to the intersection 35 of the central axis 51 in the right-angled triangle 36 shown in Fig. 4 is approximately perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane 58c of the pair of first notches 58. As a result, the direction in which the first-direction low-rigidity section 56 is likely to bend and exhibit anisotropic flexibility is approximately parallel to the side 36a of the right-angled triangle 36.

[0071] 4, the support section 50 is disposed so that the side 36b connecting the contact position 34 of the second extensible member 42 to the intersection 35 of the central axis 51 is substantially perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane 59c of the pair of second notches 59. As a result, the direction in which the second direction low rigidity section 57 is likely to bend and exhibit anisotropic flexibility is substantially parallel to the side 36b of the right triangle 36.

[0072] The support portion 50 shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 can be produced, for example, by forming a pair of first notches 58 and a pair of second notches 59 in a columnar metal material by laser cutting or the like.

[0073] The processing apparatus 10 in which such a support part 50 supports the tilt stage 30 has the support part 50 that connects the tilt stage 30 and the base 20 separately from the expandable member 40, and therefore can suitably support the force from the pressure surface 32 while reducing the force transmitted from the pressure surface 32 to the expandable member 40. Furthermore, because it has the support part 50, the tilt of the tilt stage 30 can be adjusted with high precision even if the expandable member 40 is not fixed to the base 20 and the tilt stage 30.

[0074] Second embodiment Fig. 9 is a front view showing a variable pressure surface support part 118 used in a pressure device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 10 is a right side view of the variable pressure surface support part 118 shown in Fig. 9. In Fig. 10, a part of the tilt stage 30 is shown in perspective to show the shape of one end part 150a of the support part 150. Also, Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the variable pressure surface support part 118.

[0075] The variable pressure surface support part 118 differs from the variable pressure surface support part 18 shown in Fig. 2 in that the shape of the support part 150 and that the support part 150 has stoppers 171, 172, 173, 174, and 175, but in other respects is similar to the variable pressure surface support part 18 shown in Fig. 2. Regarding the pressure device according to the second embodiment, only the differences from the pressure device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described, and a description of the commonalities will be omitted.

[0076] 9 and 12, the support unit 150 is an elastic support member having a substantially rectangular pillar-like outer shape. The first-direction low-rigidity portion 156 and the second-direction low-rigidity portion 157 of the support unit 150 have substantially the same shapes as the first-direction low-rigidity portion 56 and the second-direction low-rigidity portion 57 of the support unit 50, except that the thicknesses of the flat plate portions 156a and 157a are thinner than the flat plate portions 56a and 57a shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The thicknesses of the flat plate portions 156a and 157a can be changed as appropriate depending on the pressure transmitted from the pressure surface 32 to the pressure target, the adjustment accuracy required of the tilt stage 30, the power of the expandable members 41 and 42, etc.

[0077] 10, support portion 150 has stoppers 171 and 172 whose tip portions 171a and 172a protrude into a pair of second cutouts 159a and 159b that sandwich second-direction low-rigidity portion 157 (see FIG. 11), and whose protrusion amounts of tip portions 171a and 172a are adjustable. FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged view of the periphery of stoppers 171 and 172 shown in FIG.

[0078] 11, stoppers 171, 172 are inserted through through holes formed in support portion 150, and tip portions 171a, 172a protrude into second notches 159a, 159b. Stoppers 171, 172 and the through holes through which stoppers 171, 172 pass are threaded. Therefore, stoppers 171, 172 can be moved forward and backward by rotating stoppers 171, 172 to change the amount by which tip portions 171a, 172a protrude into second notches 159a, 159b.

[0079] The support part 150 having such stoppers 171, 172 can limit the tilt of the tilt stage 30 to an appropriate range by adjusting the amount of protrusion of the stoppers 171, 172 into the second notches 159a, 159b. Furthermore, the support part 150 having such stoppers 171, 172 can prevent permanent strain from occurring in the flexible part 154 of the support part 150 due to an unexpected load, and can prevent excessive force from being applied to the expandable members 41, 42.

[0080] 9 and 10, the support part 150 has stoppers 171, 172, and 173 whose tip portions protrude into the second notches 159a and 159b, as well as stoppers 174 and 175 whose tip portions protrude into the first notches 158a and 158b. Like the stoppers 171, 172, and 173, the stoppers 174 and 175 also have the effect of limiting the tilt of the tilt stage 30 to an appropriate range.

[0081] The stoppers 171 to 175 may have any tip portions that protrude into any of the pair of first notches 158a, 158b and the pair of second notches 159a, 159b, and the installation positions of the stoppers 171 to 175 may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, the first notches 158a, 158b may be extended upward, and the stoppers 174, 175 may be provided on the extended portions. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9, in addition to the stoppers 171 to 175, the support part 150 may have stoppers 176, 177 (see FIG. 9), stopper 178 and a paired stopper 179, stopper 181 paired with stopper 172, and stoppers 182, 183 (see FIG. 10) provided on the other end side of the support part 150. Stoppers 182 and 183 have their tips protruding into a pair of second notches 159b and 159a. Stoppers 176 and 177 are configured as clearance adjustment pieces (block stoppers) or the like that are provided movably with respect to rigid portion 152 and have end faces that face flexible portion 154. Stoppers 178, 179, 181, and 182 are configured as bolts or the like whose tips protrude into one of the notches. By adjusting the gap (shim adjustment) with stoppers 171 to 179, 181, and 182, the tilt of tilt stage 30 can be adjusted with high precision while ensuring reliability.

[0082] In addition, the support part 150 according to the second embodiment and the pressure device having the same have the same effects as the support part 50 and the pressure device 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0083] While the pressure device and elastic support member according to the present disclosure have been described above using embodiments, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and includes many other embodiments and modifications. For example, the pressure device is not limited to those in which the support portion is formed of a metal elastic support member. Support portions having composite structures of metal blocks or rods with springs or resin, or support portions having spherical bearings, etc., are also applicable. Furthermore, the symmetry reference planes of the pair of first notches and the symmetry reference planes of the pair of second notches may be perpendicular to each other as shown in the embodiments, but may also intersect at a predetermined angle other than a right angle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 10...Pressure device 12...Frame 13...Drive unit 14...Output shaft 15...Placement stage 18, 118... Variable pressure surface support part 20...Bass 21a...Base contact part 30...Tilt stage 31a...Stage contact part 32...Pressure surface 33, 34…Contact position 35...intersection 36…triangle 36a, 36b...side 40...Expandable member 41...First elastic member 42...Second elastic member 50, 150...Support part 41a, 42a, 50a...One end 41b, 50b...other end 50c…side 51...Central axis 51a...Fulcrum 52...Rigid part 54, 154...Flexible part 55…Second rigid part 56, 156...Low rigidity part in the first direction 57, 157…Second direction low rigidity part 56a, 57a, 156a, 157a...flat plate part 56b, 57b...slope part 58...Pair of first notches 59...Pair of second notches 58a, 58b, 158a, 158b...First cut 59a, 59b, 159a, 159b...Second cut 58aa, 58ba, 59aa, 59ba...Parallel part 58ab, 58bb, 59ab, 59bb...Distance change section 58c, 59c...Symmetrical reference plane 5657…Central common area 61, 62...Spring 63, 64...Volts 90...Pressurized object 171, 172, 173, 174, 175...Stopper 171a, 172a...Tip

Claims

1. a tilt stage having a pressure surface that is pressed against a pressure object and whose tilt is changeable; a base disposed on the opposite side of the tilt stage from the pressure surface; a support portion that connects the base and the tilt stage so that the tilt stage can tilt around a fulcrum on a central axis; a pressure applying device having an expandable member, one end of which contacts the tilt stage and the other end of which contacts the base and is sandwiched between the tilt stage and the base, and the length between the one end and the other end of which is changeable.

2. 2. The pressure device according to claim 1, wherein the support portion is an elastic support member having one end fixed to the tilt stage and the other end fixed to the base, and elastically deforming so that at least a portion of the support portion in the central axis direction is bent.

3. The pressure device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the end of the expandable member that contacts the tilt stage and the other end that contacts the base has a convex curved surface of revolution.

4. 2. The pressure device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a stage contact portion of the tilt stage with which one end of the extendable member contacts and a base contact portion of the base with which the other end of the extendable member contacts has a concave curved surface of revolution.

5. The pressure device according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic member comprises a piezoelectric actuator.

6. The telescopic member has at least two telescopic members, 2. The pressure device according to claim 1, wherein the contact positions of one end of each of the two extendable members with respect to the tilt stage and the intersection point of the central axis of the support portion with respect to the tilt stage form a triangle having these as vertices.

7. A pressure device as described in claim 6, wherein in the triangle, the length of the side connecting from the contact position of one of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis is different from the length of the side connecting from the contact position of the other of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis.

8. A pressure device as described in claim 6, wherein in the triangle, the side connecting the contact position of one of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis intersects at a right angle with the side connecting the contact position of the other of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis.

9. the support portion is an elastic support member having one end fixed to the base and the other end fixed to the tilt stage, and elastically deforming so that at least a portion of the support portion in the central axis direction is bent; The pressure device described in claim 6, wherein the elastic support member has a first direction low rigidity portion having anisotropic flexibility that easily bends in a direction approximately parallel to a side in the triangle connecting the contact position of one of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis, and a second direction low rigidity portion having anisotropic flexibility that easily bends in a direction approximately parallel to a side in the triangle connecting the contact position of the other of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis.

10. 3. The pressure device according to claim 2, wherein the elastic support member has a rigid portion disposed closer to the base than the tilt stage, and a flexible portion disposed closer to the tilt stage than the rigid portion and more flexible than the rigid portion.

11. the elastic support member is a columnar member having a rigid portion and a flexible portion that is more flexible than the rigid portion and that are arranged to be offset from each other in the central axis direction, 3. The pressure device according to claim 2, wherein the flexible portion comprises: a first-direction low-rigidity portion that is cut approximately symmetrically from a side surface of the elastic support member toward the central axis and then sandwiched between a pair of first notches that extend parallel to the central axis on either side of the central axis for a predetermined length; and a second-direction low-rigidity portion that is cut approximately symmetrically from a side surface of the elastic support member toward the central axis and then sandwiched between a pair of second notches that extend parallel to the central axis on either side of the central axis for a predetermined length and have a symmetry reference plane that is approximately perpendicular to the pair of first notches.

12. The telescopic member has at least two telescopic members, a contact position of one end of each of the two telescopic members with respect to the tilt stage and an intersection point of the central axis of the support portion with respect to the tilt stage form a right triangle having these as vertices; A pressure device as described in claim 11, wherein the side connecting the contact position of one of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis in the right triangle is approximately perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane of the pair of first notches, and the side connecting the contact position of the other of the two expandable members to the intersection of the central axis in the right triangle is approximately perpendicular to the symmetry reference plane of the pair of second notches.

13. The pressure applying device according to claim 11, wherein the first direction low rigidity portion and the second direction low rigidity portion are formed in opposite directions with respect to the central axis direction and are formed so as to overlap at least partially with respect to the central axis direction.

14. The pressure device according to claim 11, wherein the elastic support member has a stopper whose tip portion protrudes into one of the pair of first notches and the pair of second notches, and the protrusion amount of the tip portion is adjustable.

15. An elastic support member that connects a tilt stage whose tilt is variable and a base that supports the tilt stage, The elastic support member is a columnar elastic support member having a rigid portion and a flexible portion that is more flexible than the rigid portion, the rigid portion and the flexible portion being arranged at positions offset from each other in the central axis direction.

16. The elastic support member described in claim 15, wherein the flexible portion has a first direction low rigidity portion sandwiched between a pair of first notches that are cut approximately symmetrically from the side of the elastic support member toward the central axis and extend parallel to the central axis across a predetermined length of the central axis.

17. The elastic support member described in claim 16, wherein the flexible portion is cut approximately symmetrically from the side of the elastic support member toward the central axis, and then has a second direction low rigidity portion sandwiched between a pair of second notches extending parallel to the central axis across a predetermined length and whose symmetry reference plane intersects with the pair of first notches.

18. The elastic support member according to claim 17, wherein the first direction low rigidity portion and the second direction low rigidity portion are formed in opposite directions with respect to the central axis direction and are formed so as to overlap at least partially with respect to the central axis direction.

19. The elastic support member according to claim 16 , further comprising a stopper whose tip protrudes into one of the pair of first notches and whose protrusion amount is adjustable.

20. The elastic support member according to claim 17 , further comprising a stopper whose tip protrudes into one of the pair of second notches and whose protrusion amount is adjustable.

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