Stage device, charged particle beam device and vacuum device

Abstract

To suppress adherence of a guide foreign matter scattered from a contact type guide element to an object in a vacuum environment.SOLUTION: A stage device includes a guide rail 201 that is arranged in a vacuum environment to move the mounted object and is laid on a base 102, a carriage 202 that moves along the guide rail 201, a rolling element that contacts the guide rail 201 and the carriage 202 and rotates as the carriage 202 moves, a table 101 that is connected to a part of the carriage 202 and moves together with the carriage 202, and a shielding cover 502 that is provided to cover the guide surface of the guide rail 201 in the normal direction 304 and shields a foreign matter scattered from the guide rail 201, the carriage 202, or the rolling element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a stage apparatus, a charged particle beam apparatus including a stage apparatus, and a vacuum apparatus including a stage apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known technologies relating to device stages for semiconductor-related equipment and stages for accurately positioning and supporting semiconductor wafers. Expanding the scope to stages for equipment other than semiconductor-related equipment, Patent Document 1 describes a stage in which a cover is provided on a guide section or a ball screw section, and piping is connected inside the cover to suck up foreign matter scattered from the guide section or the ball screw section. With this stage, it is possible to suppress adhesion of foreign matter to the workpiece or the guide section in the atmosphere. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-90385 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In processes such as manufacturing, measuring, and inspecting semiconductor wafers, stage devices are used to perform accurate positioning of semiconductor wafers. Stage devices used in processes such as manufacturing, measuring, and inspecting semiconductor wafers require not only positional accuracy but also cleanliness with minimal foreign matter. On the other hand, a highly rigid guide is required to maintain positional accuracy, and a guide with multiple rolling elements that roll and contact is required to increase the rigidity of the guide. In addition, in order to increase the rigidity of the guide, it is necessary to increase the preload, which increases the number of contact points and the amount of wear, causing problems with the generation of guide foreign matter scattered from the guide.

[0005] Among semiconductor-related devices, charged particle beam devices require the sample and stage device to be placed in a vacuum environment to prevent attenuation of the charged particles by air molecules. For this reason, the suction method described in Patent Document 1 cannot be used with charged particle beam devices. In addition, in a vacuum environment, the guide foreign object does not decelerate because there are no air molecules. The scattering distance of the guide foreign object increases as the table movement speed increases. This is because the faster the table is operated, the greater the kinetic energy of the guide foreign object, and the greater the potential energy up to the height the guide foreign object reaches.

[0006] Furthermore, the guide is manufactured from a magnetic material such as bearing steel. In a charged particle beam device, there is a leakage magnetic field from the electron optical system above the sample, so that the guide foreign matter, which is an iron particle generated from the contact part of the guide, etc., is attracted and adheres to the sample, which is a problem. In other words, it is necessary to lower the reachable height of the guide foreign matter below the range of the leakage magnetic field. If the moving speed of the table is reduced to lower the reachable height of the guide foreign matter below the range of the leakage magnetic field, the throughput is reduced. In other words, there is a trade-off between throughput and foreign matter reduction.

[0007] It is relatively easy to make the table feed elements, such as ball screws as disclosed in Patent Document 1, non-contact by replacing them with linear motors. However, to make guide elements, such as linear guides, non-contact, it is necessary to apply a floating type configuration, and sensors and actuators are required for six axes each, so it is not easy to make them non-contact.

[0008] The present disclosure provides a stage device capable of preventing guide foreign matter scattered from a contact-type guide element from adhering to an object in a vacuum environment, and a charged particle beam device and a vacuum device equipped with the stage device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The stage device disclosed herein is a stage device that is arranged in a vacuum environment and moves an object placed on it, and includes a guide rail laid on a base, a carriage that moves along the guide rail, rolling elements that contact the guide rail and the carriage and rotate as the carriage moves, a basic table that is connected to part of the carriage and moves together with the carriage, and a shielding section that is arranged to cover the normal direction of the guide surface of the guide rail and that shields foreign matter that is scattered from the guide rail, the carriage, or the rolling elements. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent guide foreign matter scattered from a contact-type guide element from adhering to an object in a vacuum environment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a stage device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a detailed structure of the linear guide of the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 3] 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a guide surface of a guide rail according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the speed of the table and the peripheral speed of the rolling elements in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a shielding cover according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram showing the relationship between the moving speed of the table and the height reached by a guide foreign object in the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the stage device of the first embodiment is placed in a magnetic field environment. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram for explaining the dimensions of an opening of the shielding cover of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a shielding cover according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a stage device having a floating type upper table according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a shielding cover according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a diagram showing a magnet for magnetizing the guide rail of the fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an exhaust port of a vacuum pump provided in a groove portion of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a shielding portion according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a charged particle beam device according to a seventh embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the components (including element steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential unless otherwise specified or considered to be obviously essential in principle.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of a stage apparatus, a charged particle beam apparatus, and a vacuum apparatus according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] <Example 1> 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a stage device of Example 1. The stage device 104 moves a placed object (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) to a desired position. The stage device 104 is used in a vacuum environment such as a charged particle beam device, and in an environment with a magnetic field source above.

[0015] 1, the stage device 104 has a linear guide 103 provided on a base 102, and a table (base table) 101 that is mounted on the linear guide 103 and is movable in the X-axis direction. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a magnetic levitation table that is movable in the Y-axis direction exists above the table 101.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a detailed structure of the linear guide of the first embodiment. In FIG. 2, a part of the carriage 202 is omitted so that the rolling elements 203 can be seen. The linear guide 103 has a guide rail 201 laid on the base 102, a carriage 202 that moves along the guide rail 201, and a plurality of rolling elements 203 that contact the guide rail 201 and the carriage 202 and rotate with the movement of the carriage 202. The guide rail 201 extends along the X-axis direction, and the carriage 202 moves along the guide rail 201 in the X-axis direction. The rolling elements 203 are cylindrical or spherical, and as they roll, the carriage 202 smoothly slides on the rolling elements 203. The contact of the rolling element 203 with the guide rail 201 and the carriage 202 is rolling contact, and wear occurs at the contact surface between the guide rail 201 and the rolling element 203 and the contact surface between the carriage 202 and the rolling element 203. In addition, in the linear guide 103, a preload is applied so as to crush the rolling element 203 in order to ensure rigidity. In order to apply a preload to the rolling element 203, the dimensions of the guide rail 201 and the carriage 202 are adjusted. This preload increases the amount of wear.

[0017] Contact between the guide rail 201 and the rolling element 203 and contact between the carriage 202 and the rolling element 203 may cause parts of the linear guide 103 to peel off and fly off. Those parts that peel off from the linear guide 103 are called guide foreign objects. The guide foreign objects are picked up by the rolling element 203 that rotates as the carriage 202 moves and fly off. If the scattered guide foreign objects adhere to an object, they are observed as foreign objects and affect the observation results. In addition, the guide rail 201, the carriage 202, and the rolling element 203 are each made of magnetic materials such as bearing steel, and therefore have the characteristic of attracting the guide foreign objects due to the leakage magnetic field from a magnetic field source above.

[0018] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the guide surface of the guide rail of Example 1. In Figure 3, a guide surface 301 whose normal direction faces upward is shown. The guide surface 301 of the guide rail 201 of Example 1 has an inclination angle of 45° with respect to the horizontal plane. The rolling element 203 rotates about a straight line 303 parallel to the guide surface 301. The guide foreign matter generated on the guide surface 301 is卷入 by the rotation of the rolling element 203 and scatters in various directions depending on the peripheral speed. The scattering direction of the guide foreign matter卷入 by the rotation of the rolling element 203 and scattered upward coincides with the normal direction 304 of the guide surface 301.

[0019] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the speed of the table of Example 1 and the peripheral speed of the rolling element. When the speed 401 of the table 101 is Vs, the moving speed 402 of the center of the rolling element 203 is Vs / 2, which is half of the speed 401 of the table 101. Also, the peripheral speed 403 of the rolling element 203 coincides with the moving speed of the center of the rolling element 203. When the scattering speed 404 of the guide foreign matter on the guide surface on the carriage 202 side moving at Vs is Vo, the following equation 4.1 holds. Vo = Vs / 2 + Vs = Vs * 3 / 2…(Equation 4.1)

[0020] The kinetic energy Ev of the guide foreign matter is obtained by the following equation 4.2. Ev = 1 / 2 * m * Vo^2…(Equation 4.2) Here, m is the mass of the guide foreign matter.

[0021] On the other hand, the potential energy Eh of the guide foreign matter is obtained by the following equation 4.3. Eh = m * g * h…(Equation 4.3) Here, h is the distance from the guide surface 301 to the height position where the guide foreign matter reaches, and g is the gravitational acceleration.

[0022] The condition that the guide foreign matter does not reach the height h satisfies the following equation 4.4. Ev < Eh…(Equation 4.4) Substituting the above equations 4.2 and 4.3 into this equation 4.4 gives the following equation 4.5. Vo < (2 * g * h)^1 / 2…(Equation 4.5)

[0023] 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the shielding cover of Example 1. A groove 503 having a size capable of accommodating the linear guide 103 is formed in a base 102 such as the bottom surface of the sample chamber. A guide rail 201 is fixed to this groove 503. Furthermore, a spacer 501 is installed on the top of the carriage 202. The carriage 202 and the table 101 are connected via the spacer 501 at a central part of the upper surface of the carriage 202. The width of the spacer 501 is smaller than the width of the carriage 202.

[0024] The shielding cover 502 is provided so as to cover the normal direction 304 of the lower guide surface 311 of the guide rail 201, and shields guide foreign matter scattered from each part of the linear guide 103. The normal direction 304 of the lower guide surface 311 includes an upward vector component. The shielding cover 502 is fixed to the base 102 so as to cover a part of the upper opening 504 of the groove portion 503. The shielding cover 502 is formed with an opening 505 through which the spacer 501 passes. The opening 505 is formed along the same X-axis direction as the guide rail 201, and the spacer 501 attached to the carriage 202 moves along the opening in the X-axis direction.

[0025] Further, the bottom of the groove portion 503 is provided in the normal direction 305 of the upper guide surface 312 of the guide rail 201. That is, the groove portion 503 is provided so as to cover the normal direction 305 of the upper guide surface 312 of the guide rail 201, and blocks guide foreign matter scattered from each portion of the linear guide 103.

[0026] In the first embodiment, the shielding cover 502 is configured as a separate member from the base 102, but the shielding cover 502 may be configured as an integral part of the base 102. In this case, due to restrictions on part processing accuracy, it is necessary to provide a wide opening 505 in order to avoid contact with the carriage 202. Also, in the first embodiment, the spacer 501 is configured as a separate member from the carriage 202, but the spacer 501 may be configured as an integral part of the carriage 202. Also, in the first embodiment, the spacer 501 is configured as a separate member from the table 101, but the spacer 501 may be configured as an integral part of the table 101.

[0027] 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the moving speed of the table and the height reached by the guided foreign object in Example 1. The effect of the shielding cover in Example 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0028] When the guided foreign object rebounds within the space formed by the groove portion 503 and the shielding cover 502, the velocity v of the guided foreign object after the rebound is expressed by the following formula 6.1. v=Vo*e^N…(Equation 6.1) Here, e is the restitution coefficient and N is the number of restitutions.

[0029] When the relationship between potential energy and kinetic energy of the guide foreign object after the rebound is applied, as in the above-mentioned formula 4.5, the following formula 6.2 is satisfied. v=Vo*e^N<(2*g*h)^1 / 2…(Equation 6.2)

[0030] Then, solving equation 6.2 for the number of rebounds N, we obtain the following equation 6.3. N>log(e)(Vo / (2*g*h)^1 / 2)…(Equation 6.3)

[0031] The vertical axis of Fig. 6 is height 601 reached by the guided foreign object, and the horizontal axis is moving speed 602 of table 101. In Fig. 6, the restitution coefficient e is assumed to be 0.8, and based on these relational expressions, the height reached by the guided foreign object is plotted against the moving speed of table 101 in each of the cases 603 (solid line) without the shielding cover 502 and 604 (dotted line) with the shielding cover 502.

[0032] By installing the shielding cover 502, if the moving speed of the table 101 is the same, the reachable height of the guided foreign object is halved 605. Furthermore, if the reachable height of the guided foreign object is set as a constraint, it becomes possible to increase the moving speed of the table 101 606, which also contributes to an improvement in throughput.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state where the stage device of the first embodiment is installed in a magnetic field environment. The device shown in FIG. 7 is a charged particle beam device 1, and the stage device 104 is installed in a magnetic field environment generated by the charged particle beam device 1. The stage device 104 holds and moves a sample 702 such as a semiconductor wafer. A leakage magnetic field is generated above the sample 702 by the electron optical system 701. The guide foreign object is attracted upward due to the influence of the leakage magnetic field. When the magnetic attraction force acting on the guide foreign object is greater than the gravity acting on the guide foreign object, the guide foreign object is attracted by the leakage magnetic field by the electron optical system 701. Then, the guide foreign object may fall onto the upper surface of the sample 702 due to vibration of the charged particle beam device 1 or a change in the magnetic field state of the electron optical system 701.

[0034] Depending on the electron optical system 701, the upper surface of the sample 702 may be included in the range 703 where a magnetic field stronger than gravity is generated. In this case, the height distance 704 from the guide surface to the range 703 where the magnetic field is generated must be set as the limit value for the height that the guide foreign object can reach.

[0035] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the dimensions of the opening of the shielding cover in Example 1. The dimensions of the shielding cover 502 effective for shielding the guided foreign object will be explained with reference to Fig. 8.

[0036] The opening dimension 801 of the opening 505 of the shielding cover 502 is Lc, the height 802 of the upper guide surface 312 is Hr, the width 803 of the groove 503 is Ld, the depth 804 of the groove 503 is Hd, and the width 805 of the guide rail 201 is Lr. The origin is the center 812 of the bottom surface of the guide rail 201.

[0037] The guided foreign matter scattered from the lower guide surface 311 of the guide rail 201 bounces off the inner wall surface of the groove portion 503, the bottom surface of the shielding cover 502, and the top surface of the guide rail 201 at least three times, as shown by the trajectory 814 indicated by the dotted line. Of the three rebounds, the rebounds that affect the height reached by the guided foreign matter are the bottom surface of the shielding cover 502 and the top surface of the guide rail 201, which are the top and bottom surfaces in space.

[0038] On the other hand, the guided foreign matter scattered from the upper guide surface 312 of the guide rail 201 follows trajectories 806, 807, and 808 indicated by solid lines. Depending on the opening dimension 801 of the shielding cover 502, the guided foreign matter bounces off the bottom surface and inner wall surface of the groove portion 503, and flies upward from the opening without being bounced off the shielding cover 502. In other words, the rebound that affects the height reached by the guided foreign matter occurs only once, at the bottom surface of the groove portion 503, which is the top and bottom surface in space.

[0039] Therefore, let us consider the trajectory of the guide foreign matter scattering from the end point 813 of the upper guide surface 312 of the guide rail 201, which is the most difficult to block. The coordinates (Y0, Z0) of the end point 813 from which the guide foreign matter scatters are given by the following formula 8.1. (Y0,Z0)=(Lr / 2,Hr)…(Equation 8.1)

[0040] First, due to the trajectory 806 of the guided foreign object, the bottom surface of the groove portion 503 becomes the first repulsion point 809 of the guided foreign object. Since the guided foreign object scatters in the 45° direction, the coordinates (Y1, Z1) of the first repulsion point 809 are given by the following formula 8.2. (Y1,Z1)=(Lr / 2+Hr,0)…(Equation 8.2)

[0041] Next, due to the trajectory 807 of the guided foreign object after the first rebound, the inner wall surface of the groove portion 503 becomes the second rebound point 810 of the guided foreign object. The coordinates (Y2, Z2) of the second rebound point 810 can be calculated from the reflection angle of 45° in the same way, as shown in the following formula 8.3. (Y2,Z2)=(Ld / 2,Ld / 2-(Lr / 2+Hr))…(Equation 8.3)

[0042] Furthermore, if it is assumed that the trajectory 808 of the guide foreign object after the second rebound is rebounded on the bottom surface of the shielding cover 502, the coordinates (Y3, Z3) of the third rebound point 811 are given by the following formula 8.4. (Y3,Z3)=(Ld / 2-(Hd-Z2),Hd)…(Equation 8.4)

[0043] As a result, if the following formula 8.5 is satisfied for the opening dimensions of the shielding cover 502, the track 808 will bounce off the bottom surface of the shielding cover 502, and the guided foreign matter scattered from the guide surface will bounce off the upper and lower surfaces in the space two or more times. Lc>Hd-Z2…(Formula 8.5) By substituting equation 8.3 into equation 8.5, we obtain the following equation 8.6. Lc>Hd-Ld / 2+Hr+Lr / 2…(Eq. 8.6) In other words, if the dimensions of opening 505 of shielding cover 502 are designed to satisfy formula 8.6, it becomes possible for the guided foreign object to be repelled by shielding cover 502, and it becomes possible to lower the height that the guided foreign object reaches.

[0044] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the shielding cover of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the shielding cover 502 is divided into a back cover (first shielding member) 901 and a front cover (second shielding member) 902. The back cover 901 and the front cover 902 are removable from the base 102 of the sample chamber 904. It is assumed that the shielding cover 502 will be removed for periodic maintenance such as greasing the linear guide 103. As shown in FIG. 9, the front cover 902 can be easily removed by moving the table 101 to the back side (first position). Also, the back cover 901 can be easily removed by moving the table 101 to the front side (second position).

[0045] In the first embodiment, the shielding cover 502 is divided into two, but the number of divisions of the shielding cover 502 may be three or more depending on the nature of the maintenance. In addition, the shielding cover 502 may be fixed to the base 102 of the sample chamber 904 with a countersunk screw. This determines the position of the shielding cover 502 relative to the sample chamber 904, making it unnecessary to adjust the position to avoid contact between the spacer 501 and the shielding cover 502, and thus shortening the time required for maintenance.

[0046] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a stage device having a floating type upper table of Example 1. As shown in Fig. 10, stage device 104 of Example 1 is a stack type stage device having a lower table 101 that moves by a contact type linear guide 103, and a non-contact floating type upper table (floating table) 105. Note that stage device 104 of Example 1 is movable in two axial directions (X-axis and Y-axis), but may be movable in only one axial direction.

[0047] A levitation guide mover 1001 is mounted on the upper table 105, and a levitation guide stator 1002 is mounted on the lower table 101. The upper table 105 is more susceptible to the influence of the leakage magnetic field of the electron optical system 701, and therefore has stricter restrictions on the occurrence of guide foreign matter than the lower table 101. For this reason, it is necessary to achieve a non-contact system even at the expense of costs, and in the first embodiment, a non-contact levitation type is adopted. Means for achieving a non-contact system for the guide elements of the table in a vacuum environment include an air static pressure guide with a differential exhaust mechanism or a magnetic levitation guide. A magnetic levitation guide is more suitable for use in a high vacuum.

[0048] On the other hand, the lower table 101 of the stack type stage device 104 is less affected by the leakage magnetic field of the electron optical system, so the guide elements are of the contact type and a shielding cover 502 for shielding guide foreign objects is used.

[0049] (Effects of Example 1) By providing the shielding cover 502 so as to cover the normal direction 304 of the lower guide surface 311, which is the direction in which guide foreign matter is scattered, it is possible to prevent guide foreign matter scattered from the linear guide 103 from flying upward from the space formed by the shielding cover 502 and the groove portion 503.

[0050] Furthermore, by accommodating the linear guide 103 in a groove 503 provided in the base 102, the guided foreign object can be repelled by the inner wall and bottom of the groove 503. Furthermore, by providing a shielding cover 502 so as to cover an upper opening 504 of the groove 503, the guided foreign object can be repelled by this shielding cover 502. As a result, it is possible to lower the reach height of the guided foreign object.

[0051] By connecting the table 101 and a part of the carriage 202 with a spacer 501 and forming an opening 505 in the shielding cover 502 through which the spacer 501 passes, it is possible to cover most of the upper part of the linear guide 103 with the shielding cover 502.

[0052] An opening dimension 801 of the opening 505 is determined based on a height 804 of the space formed by the shielding cover 502 and the groove portion 503, a width 803 of the space, a height 802 of the guide surface, and a width 805 of the guide rail 201. This makes it possible to obtain a shielding cover 502 having dimensions suitable for preventing the guide foreign object from jumping out of the opening 505.

[0053] By dividing the shielding cover 502 into a rear cover 901 and a front cover 902 and making the rear cover 901 and the front cover 902 removable from the base 102, maintenance such as greasing the linear guide 103 becomes easier.

[0054] The upper table 105 is largely affected by the leakage magnetic field of the electron optical system 701 and has stricter restrictions on the generation of guide foreign matter than the lower table 101. By making the upper table 105 a floating type, it is possible to prevent guide foreign matter from being generated on the upper table 105.

[0055] In addition, since the shielding cover 502 of the first embodiment has a simple structure, it can be applied to various stage devices at low cost. In addition, it is possible to minimize the decrease in rigidity. Furthermore, since the shielding cover 502 can be manufactured from a plate material and has a simple shape, it is easy to achieve part precision, and it is possible to reduce the gap between the carriage 202 and improve the foreign object shielding effect accordingly. In the cover structure as in Patent Document 1, the movable side has a complex shape, the device becomes large, and there are problems such as being unable to drive at high speed because of the decrease in rigidity and the generation of vibration. However, in the first embodiment, the shielding cover 502 is attached to the non-moving side and has a simple shape, so the above problems do not exist.

[0056] Also, in order to prevent the generation of guide foreign bodies during movement in both the X and Y directions, it is possible to use a planar levitation stage as the stage. However, the leakage magnetic field from the stage is large, and a coil array or magnet array must be formed to realize the planar levitation stage, which significantly increases the cost. On the other hand, by using a stack type configuration in which the upper axis is a levitation guide and the lower axis is a shielding cover 502 as in the first embodiment, it is possible to realize a foreign body-free stage with two X and Y axes at low cost. This makes it possible to take necessary and sufficient cost-effective measures against foreign bodies in a vacuum environment under the influence of a magnetic field such as that of a charged particle beam device.

[0057] Since the lower table 101 of the stack type stage device 104 is less affected by the leakage magnetic field of the electron optical system, in the first embodiment, the guide element is of the contact type and a shielding cover 502 for shielding guide foreign matter is applied. This makes it possible to take measures against guide foreign matter at low cost. In particular, in the stack type stage device 104, since the movable mass of the lower axis is large, the positioning command may be configured so that the upper axis is operated at high speed and high frequency and the lower axis is operated at low speed and low frequency.

[0058] <Example 2> Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a shielding cover of Example 2. In Example 1, a groove 503 is formed in the base 102, the linear guide 103 is accommodated in the groove 503, and the shielding cover 502 is attached so as to cover an upper opening 504 of the groove 503. In Example 2, as shown in Fig. 11, a groove for accommodating the linear guide 103 is not provided in the base 102, and a shielding cover 1102 is attached so as to cover the sides and the top of the guide rail 201 and the carriage 202 installed on the base 102.

[0059] The shielding cover 1102 of the second embodiment has a flange 1103 for fixing the shielding cover 1102 to the base 102, a wall 1104 covering the sides of the linear guide 103, and a top surface 1105 covering the top of the linear guide 103. An opening 1106 is provided in the top surface 1105 of the shielding cover 1102, and the spacer 501 passes through this opening 1106. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0060] (Effects of Example 2) In the second embodiment, since there is no need to form a groove in the base 102, the shielding cover 1102 can be installed in various locations.

[0061] In addition, since the shielding cover 1102 is a separate member from the base 102, it is possible to improve the ease of maintenance, such as greasing the linear guide 103. Other effects are similar to those of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0062] <Example 3> No mention was made of the material of the shielding cover in Examples 1 and 2. The shielding cover in Example 3 is made of a magnetic material. The other configurations are the same as those in Examples 1 and 2.

[0063] (Effects of Example 3) In the third embodiment, when a magnetic foreign object generated from the linear guide 103 comes into contact with the shielding cover or flies into the vicinity thereof, the shielding cover itself attracts the foreign object, thereby preventing the foreign object from scattering above the table 101. Other effects are similar to those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0064] <Example 4> In the third embodiment, the shielding cover is made of a magnetic material. In the fourth embodiment, the linear guide 103 is made of a magnetic material, and a magnet 1200 is disposed near the linear guide 103. The magnet 1200 magnetizes the guide rail 201 made of a magnetic material. The other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0065] (Effects of Example 4) In the fourth embodiment, a magnetic attraction force acts on the guide foreign object attempting to jump out of the linear guide 103, so that it is possible to reduce the initial speed of the guide foreign object and reduce the height the guide foreign object reaches. In the fourth embodiment, in order to prevent the leakage magnetic field from the magnet 1200 from affecting the trajectory of the charged particle beam, it is also effective to use a magnetic material for the shielding cover 502 to shield the leakage magnetic field from the magnet 1200. Other effects are similar to those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0066] <Example 5> The stage apparatus of the fifth embodiment is placed in a vacuum environment. An exhaust port 1300 connected to an exhaust path of a vacuum pump for realizing the vacuum environment is provided in a space formed by a shielding cover 502 of the stage apparatus of the fifth embodiment.

[0067] 13, in the fifth embodiment, an exhaust port 1300 connected to an exhaust path 1301 to a vacuum pump is provided on a side wall or a bottom surface of the groove 503. The exhaust port 1300 may be provided in the space formed by the shielding cover 1102 shown in the second embodiment. The other configurations are similar to those of the first and second embodiments.

[0068] (Effects of Example 5) In the fifth embodiment, the guided foreign matter scattered within the space formed by the shielding cover 502 and the groove 503 can be immediately guided to the vacuum exhaust system, making it possible to prevent the guided foreign matter from reaching the table 101. Since there is no need to use a movable exhaust pipe, there is no increase in contamination due to outgassing from the resin pipe, and no deterioration in maintainability, such as pipe replacement due to the life of the movable pipe. Other effects are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0069] <Example 6> The guide rail 201 in the first embodiment has a shape that is narrowed in the center, and the guide surface 301 is a surface that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane. The guide rail 1401 in the sixth embodiment has a guide surface 1400 that is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. In the sixth embodiment, a shielding portion is provided so as to cover the normal direction 1402 of the guide surface 1400. Specifically, in the sixth embodiment, the inner wall portion 1403 of the groove portion 503 serves as a shielding portion that covers the normal direction 1402 of the guide surface 1400 of the guide rail 1401. The other configurations are similar to those in the first and second embodiments.

[0070] (Effects of Example 6) In the sixth embodiment, even if the guide surface 1400 of the guide rail 1401 is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the guided foreign object can be repelled by the inner wall 1403 of the groove 503. Regardless of the inclination of the guide surface, it is possible to cover the normal direction of the guide surface of various guide rails with the shielding part. Other effects are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0071] <Example 7> FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of a charged particle beam device of Example 7. The charged particle beam device 1900 shown in FIG. 15 includes any one of the stage devices of Examples 1 to 6 described above. The charged particle beam device 1900 of Example 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 11. The charged particle beam device 1900 shown in FIG. 15 is a semiconductor measuring device equipped with a stage device having a shielding cover of Examples 1 to 6 described above. The semiconductor measuring device 1900 of Example 7 is, for example, a length measuring SEM as an application device of a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

[0072] The semiconductor measuring apparatus 1900 includes a stage device 104, a vacuum chamber 1901 that houses the stage device 104, an electron optical system barrel 1902, a vibration-damping mount 1903, a laser interferometer 1904, and a controller 1905. The vacuum chamber 1901 houses the stage device 104, and the inside of the vacuum chamber 1901 is depressurized by a vacuum pump (not shown) to a vacuum state lower than atmospheric pressure. The vacuum chamber 1901 is supported by the vibration-damping mount 1903.

[0073] The semiconductor measuring apparatus 1900 positions an object 1920 such as a semiconductor wafer by using a stage device 104, and irradiates the object 1920 with an electron beam from an electron optical system barrel 1902. The semiconductor measuring apparatus 1900 then captures an image of a pattern on the object 1920, and measures the line width of the pattern and evaluates its shape accuracy. In the stage device 104, the position of a bar mirror 1912 is measured by a laser interferometer 1904, and the position of the object 1920 such as a semiconductor wafer held on a sample stage 1910 is controlled by a controller 1905.

[0074] (Effects of Example 7) By including the stage device 104, the semiconductor measuring device 1900 can improve the positioning accuracy of the object 1920 such as a semiconductor wafer, and can suppress the adhesion of guide foreign matter to the object 1920. Therefore, the cleanliness of the semiconductor measuring device 1900 as a charged particle beam device can be improved. In addition, since the levitation mechanism of the upper axis of the stage device 104 is a magnetic levitation type, it is easy to apply to the semiconductor measuring device, which is a vacuum device, and can exhibit excellent effects such as reducing contamination due to outgassing from resin piping and suppressing heat generation. The charged particle beam device of the seventh embodiment is not limited to the semiconductor measuring device. Other effects are the same as those of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but includes various modified examples. The above-mentioned embodiment has been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. It is also possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. It is also possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration.

[0076] For example, the stage devices of the first to sixth embodiments can be applied to vacuum devices such as X-ray inspection devices, optical (UV light source) inspection devices, and organic EL exposure devices.

[0077] In addition, in the first embodiment, one groove portion is formed for one linear guide 103, but one groove portion may accommodate two or more linear guides 103. Similarly, in the second embodiment, one shielding cover is provided for one linear guide 103, but one shielding cover may accommodate two or more linear guides 103. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1: charged particle beam device, 101: table (lower table), 102: base, 103: linear guide, 104: stage device, 105: table (upper table), 201: guide rail, 202: carriage, 203: rolling element, 301: guide surface, 311: lower guide surface, 312: upper guide surface, 501: spacer, 502: shielding cover, 503: groove, 504: upper opening, 505: opening, 701: electron optical system, 702: sample, 901: rear cover, 902: front cover, 904: Sample chamber, 1001: mover, 1002: stator, 1102: shielding cover, 1103: flange, 1104: wall, 1105: top surface, 1106: opening, 1200: magnet, 1300: exhaust port, 1301: exhaust path, 1400: guide surface, 1401: guide rail, 1403: inner wall, 1900: semiconductor measuring device, 1901: vacuum chamber, 1902: electron optical system barrel, 1903: vibration suppression mount, 1904: laser interferometer, 1905: controller, 1910: sample stage, 1912: bar mirror

Claims

1. A stage apparatus that is arranged in a vacuum environment and moves an object placed thereon, A guide rail laid on the base; A carriage that moves along the guide rail; a rolling element that contacts the guide rail and the carriage and rotates with the movement of the carriage; a base table connected to a portion of the carriage and moving together with the carriage; a shielding portion provided to cover the guide surface of the guide rail in a normal direction and configured to shield foreign matter scattered from the guide rail, the carriage, or the rolling body; Equipped with a groove portion in which the guide rail, the carriage, and the rolling elements are accommodated is formed in the base; The shielding portion is provided so as to cover an upper opening of the groove portion. A stage apparatus comprising:

2. A stage apparatus that is arranged in a vacuum environment and moves an object placed thereon, A guide rail laid on the base; A carriage that moves along the guide rail; a rolling element that contacts the guide rail and the carriage and rotates with the movement of the carriage; a base table connected to a portion of the carriage and moving together with the carriage; a shielding portion provided to cover the guide surface of the guide rail in a normal direction and configured to shield foreign matter scattered from the guide rail, the carriage, or the rolling body; Equipped with a spacer connecting the base table to a portion of the carriage; an opening through which the spacer passes is formed in the shielding portion, The opening size of the opening is determined based on the height of the space formed by the shielding portion, the width of the space, the height of the guide surface, and the width of the guide rail. A stage apparatus comprising:

3. A stage apparatus that is arranged in a vacuum environment and moves an object placed thereon, A guide rail laid on the base; A carriage that moves along the guide rail; a rolling element that contacts the guide rail and the carriage and rotates with the movement of the carriage; a base table connected to a portion of the carriage and moving together with the carriage; a shielding portion provided to cover the guide surface of the guide rail in a normal direction and configured to shield foreign matter scattered from the guide rail, the carriage, or the rolling body; Equipped with the shielding portion includes a first shielding member and a second shielding member that is a separate member from the first shielding member, The first shielding member is removable when the base table is moved to a first position, and the second shielding member is removable when the base table is moved to a second position. A stage apparatus comprising:

4. A stage apparatus that is arranged in a vacuum environment and moves an object placed thereon, A guide rail laid on the base; A carriage that moves along the guide rail; a rolling element that contacts the guide rail and the carriage and rotates with the movement of the carriage; a base table connected to a portion of the carriage and moving together with the carriage; a shielding portion provided to cover the guide surface of the guide rail in a normal direction and configured to shield foreign matter scattered from the guide rail, the carriage, or the rolling body; Equipped with The guide rail may further include a magnet for magnetizing the guide rail. A stage apparatus comprising:

5. The shielding portion is formed to cover the sides and the top of the guide rail and the carriage.

5. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage apparatus is a stage unit.

6. a spacer connecting the base table to a portion of the carriage; The shielding portion has an opening through which the spacer passes.

5. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, 3 or 4.

7. The shielding portion is made of a magnetic material.

5. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage apparatus is a stage unit.

8. An exhaust port of a vacuum pump is provided in the space formed by the shielding portion.

5. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage apparatus is a stage unit.

9. The base table further includes a floating table.

5. The stage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage apparatus is a stage unit.

10. The levitation table is a magnetic levitation table.

10. The stage apparatus according to claim 9.

11. The stage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided. A charged particle beam device comprising:

12. The stage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided. A vacuum device comprising:

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