Moving device, inspection device, and moving method

Abstract

This moving device comprises: a plurality of guide members; a plurality of slider bodies that respectively move along the plurality of guide members; a bridge body that is fixed across the plurality of slider bodies; a plurality of drive units that move the plurality of slider bodies each independently; a plurality of detection units that respectively detect the positions of the plurality of slider bodies; and a control unit that controls the plurality of drive units on the basis of detection information from the plurality of detection units. The control unit controls (A) a step for moving the bridge body by the driving force of one drive unit of the plurality of drive units, and (B) a step for positioning the bridge body by simultaneously driving the one drive unit and another drive unit at the end of the step (A).

Description

Moving device, inspection device, and moving method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a moving device, an inspection device, and a moving method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection device (probe device) that aligns a wafer placed on a mounting table with an inspection probe using detection information from a detection unit (CCD) provided on a bridge (alignment bridge). This inspection device has a moving device that moves the bridge along a pair of guide members (guide shafts) and positions it above the wafer, and detects the position of the wafer after the bridge is positioned.

[0003] Furthermore, although there is no specific description in Patent Document 1, an air cylinder has conventionally been used as a drive unit for moving the alignment bridge.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-333100

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for smoothly moving a bridge body along a plurality of guide members and accurately positioning the bridge body.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a moving device including a plurality of guide members, a plurality of slider bodies provided on each of the plurality of guide members and moving along the plurality of guide members, a bridge body fixed across the plurality of slider bodies, a plurality of drive units for independently moving each of the plurality of slider bodies, a plurality of detection units for detecting the positions of the plurality of slider bodies, and a control unit for controlling the plurality of drive units based on detection information from the plurality of detection units to move the plurality of slider bodies and the bridge body, wherein the control unit controls: (A) a step of moving the bridge body using a drive force of one of the plurality of drive units; and (B) a step of simultaneously driving the one drive unit and another drive unit of the plurality of drive units at the completion of step (A) to position the bridge body.

[0007] According to one aspect, the bridge body can be smoothly moved along the plurality of guide members and positioned with high precision.

[0008] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an inspection device to which a moving device according to an embodiment is applied; FIG. 2 is a schematic side view partially showing an inspection unit; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a moving device provided in the inspection unit; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a wafer inspection method of the inspection device according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an alignment bridge operation method including a method of moving the moving device; FIG. 6 is a first plan view showing the operation of the moving device; FIG. 7 is a second plan view showing the operation of the moving device; FIG. 8 is a third plan view showing the operation of the moving device; FIG. 9 is a fourth plan view showing the operation of the moving device; FIG. 10 is a graph illustrating the torque of each linear motor in a movement method according to an embodiment; FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating the torque of each linear motor in a movement method according to a reference example; FIG. 12 is a measurement result of positional deviation in the X-axis direction when positioning is repeated multiple times with a conventional air cylinder and a linear motor according to an embodiment; FIG. 13 is a measurement result of positional deviation in the Y-axis direction when positioning is repeated multiple times with a conventional air cylinder and a linear motor according to an embodiment; FIG. 14 is a table showing measurement results of movement time when positioning is repeated multiple times with a conventional air cylinder and a linear motor according to an embodiment;

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view that schematically shows an inspection apparatus 1 to which a moving device 50 according to an embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1, the inspection apparatus 1 inspects the electrical characteristics of a wafer W, which is an example of an object to be inspected. For example, a plurality of semiconductor devices, which are devices under test (DUTs), are formed on the surface of the wafer W. Note that the object to be inspected is not limited to the wafer W, but may also be a carrier on which the devices under test are arranged, a glass substrate, a single chip, an electronic circuit board, or the like. The devices under test are also not limited to semiconductor devices, and may be other electronic devices.

[0011] The inspection device 1 includes an inspection unit 10 that actually performs the inspection, a loader 13 installed adjacent to the inspection unit 10, and a tester 20 installed above the inspection unit 10. Furthermore, the inspection device 1 has a controller 90 that controls the operations of the inspection unit 10, the loader 13, and the tester 20.

[0012] The inspection unit 10 includes a rectangular parallelepiped housing 11, and an inspection chamber 12 is disposed inside the housing 11. The inspection chamber 12 accommodates a stage 30 on which a wafer W is placed and which transports the wafer W to a desired three-dimensional coordinate position.

[0013] A carrier such as a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) (not shown) that holds a plurality of wafers W is set in the loader 13. The loader 13 is equipped with a transfer device (not shown), which removes the wafers W from the carrier and transfers them to the stage 30 in the inspection chamber 12. The loader 13 also removes inspected wafers W from the stage 30 using the transfer device and stores them in the carrier.

[0014] The inspection unit 10 includes a probe card 21 above the inspection chamber 12, which is connected to the tester 20 via an interface 23. The probe card 21 has a plurality of probes 22 at a position facing the wafer W. When the wafer W is moved by the stage 30, each probe 22 comes into contact with an electrode pad, solder bump, or the like of each semiconductor device on the wafer W. This allows the tester 20 to output power and various signals to each semiconductor device via the probe card 21 and the interface 23, and also receive signals transmitted from each semiconductor device via the probe card 21 and the interface 23.

[0015] The tester 20 includes a motherboard (not shown) connected to the interface 23. The motherboard has a plurality of slots into which a plurality of test boards (not shown) can be attached, and is also connected to the controller 90. The motherboard determines the quality of each semiconductor device on the wafer W based on signals transmitted from the respective semiconductor devices. By appropriately replacing the test board, the tester 20 can perform a plurality of types of tests.

[0016] Fig. 2A is a schematic side view partially showing the inspection unit 10. Fig. 2B is a plan view showing a moving device 50 provided in the inspection unit 10. As shown in Fig. 2A, the stage 30 is installed on the frame structure 14 of the housing 11. The stage 30 includes a mounting table 31 having a flat mounting surface 30s capable of supporting a wafer W.

[0017] The stage 30 transports the wafer W placed on the placement surface 30s to an appropriate three-dimensional coordinate position (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction) in the inspection chamber 12. For example, the stage 30 adjusts the horizontal position of the wafer W by moving in the horizontal direction (X-axis-Y-axis direction) between a position near (or inside) the loader 13 and a position facing the probe card 21. Furthermore, the stage 30 adjusts the elevation position of the wafer W by moving up and down in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) at the position facing the probe card 21 and the wafer W.

[0018] In addition to the mounting table 31, the stage 30 has a moving unit 32 (an X-axis moving mechanism 33, a Y-axis moving mechanism 34, and a Z-axis moving mechanism 35), as well as a stage control unit, a motor driver unit, etc. (not shown). The stage 30 may also have a stage-side camera 19 that captures images of the contact state between the probe card 21 or each probe 22 and the wafer W (see FIG. 1).

[0019] In accordance with this stage 30, the frame structure 14 of the housing 11 has a two-tiered structure including an upper base 141 that supports the moving unit 32, a lower base (not shown) that supports the stage control unit and motor driver unit, and multiple pillars 142 that extend vertically and support each base.

[0020] The mounting table 31 is configured by stacking multiple structures, such as a bottom plate supported by the moving part 32 and a chuck top having a mounting surface 30s. The mounting surface 30s of the chuck top has a circular shape with a diameter larger than that of the wafer W in a plan view. Furthermore, the stage 30 may have a θ-rotation mechanism (not shown) between the mounting table 31 and the moving part 32 or on the mounting table 31 itself, which rotates the chuck top about a central axis (about the θ-axis). Although not shown, the chuck top may also have an appropriate holding means (such as a vacuum suction mechanism or a mechanical chuck) for holding the wafer W, a temperature control mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the mounting surface 30s, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the mounting surface 30s, etc.

[0021] The X-axis movement mechanism 33 of the movement unit 32 includes a plurality of guide rails 330 fixed to the upper surface of the upper base 141 and extending along the X-axis direction, a plurality of X-axis movable bodies 331 arranged on each guide rail 330, and an X-axis table 332 supported by each X-axis movable body 331. The X-axis table 332 has an X-axis drive unit (not shown) (motor, gear mechanism, etc.) connected to a motor driver unit (not shown). The X-axis drive unit reciprocates each X-axis movable body 331 and the X-axis table 332 in the X-axis direction based on power supply from the motor driver unit, thereby adjusting the X coordinate of the wafer W.

[0022] The Y-axis movement mechanism 34 includes a plurality of guide rails 340 fixed to the upper surface of the X-axis base 332 and extending along the Y-axis direction, a plurality of Y-axis movable bodies 341 arranged on each guide rail 340, and a Y-axis base 342 supported by each Y-axis movable body 341. The Y-axis base 342 has a Y-axis drive unit (motor, gear mechanism, etc.) not shown that is connected to a motor driver unit. Based on power supply from the motor driver unit, the Y-axis drive unit reciprocates each Y-axis movable body 341 and the Y-axis base 342 in the axial direction to adjust the Y coordinate of the wafer W.

[0023] The Z-axis movement mechanism 35 is installed on the Y-axis base 342 and holds the mounting table 31 above it. The Z-axis movement mechanism 35 includes a fixed guide body (not shown) and a Z-axis movable body (not shown) that is movable relative to the fixed guide body, and displaces the mounting table 31 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction).

[0024] The stage control unit of the stage 30 is connected to the controller 90 (see FIG. 1 ) of the inspection apparatus 1 and controls the motor driver unit based on commands from the controller 90 to operate the stage 30. The stage control unit includes, for example, a main control unit that controls the overall operation of the stage 30, a PLC that controls the operation of the moving unit 32, a temperature controller that controls the temperature adjustment mechanism, an illumination control unit, a power supply unit, and the like (all not shown). For example, after the stage control unit receives the wafer W from the loader 13 onto the mounting table 31, it operates the moving unit 32 to move the wafer W in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the stage control unit raises the wafer W to a position where the wafer W faces the probe card 21, bringing the wafer W into contact with the probes 22 of the probe card 21. In this state, the controller 90 starts an electrical inspection by the tester 20. Furthermore, after the tester 20 has completed the inspection, the stage control unit lowers and horizontally moves the inspected wafer W by performing the reverse operation to the above, and returns the wafer W to the loader 13.

[0025] 1 , the inspection apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes an alignment bridge 40 between the tester 20 and the mounting table 31 of the stage 30, for aligning the wafer W mounted on the mounting table 31. The alignment bridge 40 has a detection structure 41 and a moving device 50 that moves the detection structure 41 back and forth along the Y-axis direction. The detection structure 41 of the alignment bridge 40 is movable by the moving device 50 between a standby position SP and a center position CP that are set in the Y-axis direction.

[0026] The standby position SP is, for example, a position adjacent to the frame structure 14 (appropriate support columns 142) of the housing 11 and not overlapping the probe card 21 located vertically above. The center position CP is, for example, a position vertically above the mounting surface 30s of the stage 30 placed at the reference position, below the probe card 21, and coinciding with the center of the probe 22 of the probe card 21.

[0027] The detection structure 41 detects the wafer W on the opposing mounting table 31 below by moving the detection structure 41 to the center position CP, and recognizes the position of the wafer W based on this detection information. To this end, the detection structure 41 includes a bridge 42 that is supported by the moving device 50 and is slidable in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction), and a detection unit 43 that is provided on the bridge 42.

[0028] The detection unit 43 is attached to the lower surface of the bridge 42 and connected to the controller 90. The detection unit 43 senses the wafer W placed vertically below the bridge 42. The controller 90 recognizes the position, posture, thickness, etc. of the wafer W and / or the position of the mounting table 31 based on the detection information from the detection unit 43. The detection unit 43 may be, for example, an imaging device employing a CCD (Charge Coupled Devices) sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor. Alternatively, the detection unit 43 may employ a capacitance sensor, a displacement sensor, various optical sensors (e.g., an infrared sensor), a magnetic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a combination of multiple types of sensors.

[0029] When aligning the wafer W using the alignment bridge 40, the inspection device 1 first moves the bridge 42 and positions it at the center position CP. By positioning the bridge 42 at this center position CP, the operating area of ​​the stage 30 for inspecting all semiconductor devices on the wafer W placed on the mounting table 31 and the operating area of ​​the stage 30 for performing alignment can be made substantially the same.

[0030] After the center position CP is determined, the controller 90 of the inspection apparatus 1 detects the wafer W using the detection unit 43 and calculates the center position (X coordinate, Y coordinate) of the wafer W based on the detection information to align the wafer W. For example, the controller 90 moves the wafer W on the mounting table 31 in the X axis direction using the stage 30 and measures two coordinates of intersections between the scanning line of the imaging device of the detection unit 43 and the edge of the wafer W. Furthermore, the controller 90 moves the wafer W on the mounting table 31 in the Y axis direction using the stage 30 and measures two coordinates of intersections between the scanning line of the imaging device of the detection unit 43 and the edge of the wafer W. When measuring the coordinates of the intersections of the edge of the wafer W, the controller 90 may also measure the coordinates of the edge of the mounting table 31 (mounting surface 30s). The controller 90 calculates the center position of the wafer W based on the measured coordinates of the four points on the wafer W and can further calculate the deviation (direction and amount of deviation) of the center position of the wafer W relative to the center position of the mounting table 31.

[0031] Furthermore, in aligning the wafer W, the inspection apparatus 1 may perform orthogonal axis alignment of the wafer W based on detection information from the detection unit 43. Orthogonal axis alignment is performed, for example, by measuring a line connecting pads in the semiconductor devices of the wafer W using the detection unit 43, and rotating the stage 30 in the θ direction to align this line with the Y-axis direction of the stage 30.

[0032] Furthermore, the inspection apparatus 1 may measure the thickness of the wafer W to perform Z-direction correction during alignment of the wafer W. The thickness can be calculated by measuring the placement surface 30s of the placement table 31 and the top surface of the wafer W using, for example, an electrostatic sensor or a displacement sensor of the detection unit 43.

[0033] Based on the measurement results of the position of the wafer W, the inspection apparatus 1 can adjust the position and attitude of the wafer W by moving or rotating the stage 30 by θ.

[0034] The movement device 50 of the alignment bridge 40 has the function of moving the bridge body 42 in the Y-axis direction and positioning the bridge body 42 at the center position CP. Conventional movement devices use an air cylinder as a drive unit for moving the detection structure. However, air cylinders generate damper friction and impact during positioning, which reduces positioning accuracy (e.g., the reproducibility of stopping, such as a deviation of about 2 μm). Therefore, the movement device 50 according to the embodiment employs a servo system using a linear motor (linear servo motor) 53 and a linear encoder 55 to achieve high-precision positioning.

[0035] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2B , the movement device 50 includes a plurality (pairs) of guide members 51, a slider body 52 provided on each of the plurality of guide members 51, and a linear encoder 55. A linear motor 53 is provided inside each slider body 52, and a servo amplifier 54 is connected to each linear motor 53. For ease of explanation, in the plan view shown in Fig. 2B , the left guide member 51 and the corresponding components are denoted by the symbol L, and the right guide member 51 and the corresponding components are denoted by the symbol R.

[0036] The pair of guide members 51L, 51R are formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape, are aligned with each other in the X-axis direction, and extend linearly along the Y-axis direction. One end and the other end of the pair of guide members 51L, 51R form fixed portions 511 that are fixed to an appropriate frame structure 14 of the housing 11. The fixed portions 511 may function as stoppers that define the movement limits of each slider body 52L, 52R.

[0037] The guide members 51L, 51R are basically installed so as to extend parallel to each other. However, due to manufacturing errors, assembly errors, etc., the guide members 51L, 51R may not be perfectly parallel, and may be fixed in a slightly tilted or slightly distorted (twisted) state. As an example, the guide members 51L, 51R may be installed so that one end is slightly separated from the other end, while the other end is slightly close to each other (see FIG. 4A).

[0038] The slider body 52L is mounted on the guide member 51L and slides along the extension direction of the guide member 51L. Similarly, the slider body 52R is mounted on the guide member 51R and slides along the extension direction of the guide member 51R. Each slider body 52L, 52R is formed, for example, in a concave shape that covers the top and both side surfaces of each guide member 51L, 51R, preventing it from falling off the guide members 51L, 51R. The moving device 50 connects the bridge body 42 of the alignment bridge 40 to the opposing surfaces (inner surfaces) of the slider body 52L and the slider body 52R.

[0039] The bridge body 42 has a length set according to the pre-designed distance between the slider bodies 52L and 52R. For example, the bridge body 42 has a width that roughly matches the length of each of the slider bodies 52L, 52R in the Y-axis direction. The bridge body 42 supported by each of the slider bodies 52L, 52R extends linearly along the X-axis direction, which is perpendicular to the Y-axis direction, and includes a detection unit 43 midway along the extension direction. Hereinafter, the pair of slider bodies 52L, 52R and the bridge body 42 supported thereby are also referred to as a bridge structure 56.

[0040] A linear motor 53L is provided inside slider body 52L. A linear motor 53R is provided inside slider body 52R. In other words, linear motor 53L is a drive unit that moves slider body 52L along the extension direction of guide member 51L, and linear motor 53R is a drive unit that moves slider body 52R along the extension direction of guide member 51R.

[0041] Each linear motor 53L, 53R includes, for example, a shaft (not shown) along the guide member 51 and a mover (shown) attached to the shaft. The shaft has magnets arranged at equal intervals within the pipe. The mover has a three-phase coil wound around the shaft. Each linear motor 53L, 53R is configured to generate thrust in the Y-axis direction by passing a current through the mover's coil, which interacts with the magnetic flux of the magnet on the shaft. Each linear motor 53L, 53R configured in this manner has no backlash and generates almost no vibration (cogging), enabling high-precision positioning. Furthermore, the movement device 50 can be configured without internal mechanical structures such as screws and nuts, resulting in a compact and simple structure and enabling high-speed movement.

[0042] The linear motors 53L, 53R are connected to servo amplifiers 54L, 54R, respectively. The slider body 52L slides in the extension direction of the guide member 51L based on the power supplied from the servo amplifier 54L to the linear motor 53L. Similarly, the slider body 52R slides in the extension direction of the guide member 51R based on the power supplied from the servo amplifier 54R to the linear motor 53R.

[0043] Furthermore, linear encoder 55L is disposed vertically below guide member 51L and is a detector that detects the position of each slider body 52L, transmitting position information to servo amplifier 54L or controller 90. For example, servo amplifier 54L controls the position of slider body 52L based on a target position (or target speed) transmitted from controller 90 and position information from linear encoder 55L. Similarly, linear encoder 55R is disposed vertically below guide member 51R and is a detector that detects the position of each slider body 52R, transmitting position information to servo amplifier 54R or controller 90. For example, servo amplifier 54R controls the position of slider body 52R based on a target position (or target speed) transmitted from controller 90 and position information from linear encoder 55R.

[0044] The controller 90 is a computer having a processor, memory, input / output interface, communication interface, etc. (not shown). The processor is one or a combination of a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a circuit made up of multiple discrete semiconductors, etc., and executes programs stored in memory. The memory includes a main storage device made up of semiconductor memory, etc., and an auxiliary storage device made up of disks, drives, semiconductor memory (flash memory), etc.

[0045] The controller 90 according to the embodiment also functions as a control unit that controls the alignment bridge 40 (including the moving device 50). In other words, the moving device 50 is configured to include the controller 90. Note that the moving device 50 may have a dedicated control computer separate from the controller 90 of the inspection apparatus 1, and this control computer may be provided in the servo amplifier 54.

[0046] Fig. 3A is a flowchart showing a method for inspecting a wafer W by the inspection apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. Fig. 3B is a flowchart showing a method for operating the alignment bridge 40, including a method for moving the moving device 50. In the method for inspecting a wafer W, the controller 90 controls each component of the inspection apparatus 1 to sequentially perform steps S101 to S104 shown in Fig. 3A.

[0047] In the inspection method for the wafer W, the inspection apparatus 1 first transports the wafer W using the transport device of the loader 13 and places the wafer W on the mounting surface 30s of the stage 30 (step S101).

[0048] Next, the inspection device 1 causes the X-axis moving mechanism 33 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 34 of the moving unit 32 to slide the stage 30 in the horizontal direction, and moves the stage 30 and the wafer W to a position facing each probe 22 of the probe card 21 (step S102). For example, the controller 90 has a reference position for aligning the wafer W, and positions the stage 30 at this reference position.

[0049] Then, the inspection device 1 operates the above-mentioned alignment bridge 40 to position the detection unit 43 of the bridge 42 at the center position CP, detects the wafer W on the stage 30, and aligns (corrects the position and attitude of) the wafer W (step S103). The operation of this alignment bridge 40 will be described in detail later.

[0050] Once the alignment of the wafer W is complete, the inspection apparatus 1 raises the mounting table 31 using the Z-axis movement mechanism 35 of the movement unit 32, bringing each semiconductor device on the wafer W into contact with each probe 22 (step S104). By performing the above-described alignment of the wafer W in advance, each semiconductor device can be brought into contact with each probe 22 with high precision. At this time, the controller 90 may perform an overdrive to slightly raise the wafer W after each semiconductor device has come into contact with each probe 22, thereby stabilizing electrical conduction between each semiconductor device and each probe 22.

[0051] Thereafter, the inspection apparatus 1 inspects each semiconductor device using the tester 20 (step S105). The tester 20 transmits appropriate electrical signals to each semiconductor device on the wafer W, and determines whether each semiconductor device is good or bad based on the signals transmitted from each semiconductor device.

[0052] When the inspection is completed, the inspection device 1 lowers and horizontally moves the stage 30 to a position adjacent to the loader 13, and then the transport device of the loader 13 removes the wafer W placed on the stage 30 and transports it to the carrier (step S106).

[0053] Here, in a moving device used in an alignment bridge or the like, when one bridge body is fixed to multiple drive units (linear motors) as described above, the drive units are typically operated synchronously (simultaneously) to move the bridge body. In this case, the guide members that guide the drive units must be precisely parallel to each other, and high torque is required from the motors to control the position of the slider body. The linear motors 53 used in servo systems generally have low torque. If the drive units are operated synchronously with the guide members 51 slightly tilted relative to the parallel position, a positional misalignment between the drive units may occur, causing a large torque to be applied to the linear motors 53, which may stop the linear motors 53 from operating.

[0054] Therefore, the servo system according to the embodiment performs uniaxial control by driving one of the pair of linear motors 53L, 53R and not driving the other when moving the bridge body 42. On the other hand, the servo system performs multiaxial control by simultaneously driving both of the pair of linear motors 53L, 53R at the center position CP, where precision in positioning of the bridge body 42 is required, and at the standby position SP, where holding force for the bridge body 42 is required. This enables the inspection device 1 to smoothly move the bridge body 42 of the alignment bridge 40 and to position the bridge body 42 at an appropriate position with high precision.

[0055] The operation of the alignment bridge 40, or in other words, the control of step S103 in FIG. 3A, will be described below with reference to FIG. 3B and FIGS. 4A to 4D. FIG. 4A is a first plan view showing the operation of the moving device 50. FIG. 4B is a second plan view showing the operation of the moving device 50. FIG. 4C is a third plan view showing the operation of the moving device 50. FIG. 4D is a fourth plan view showing the operation of the moving device 50. Note that FIGS. 4A to 4D exaggerate the illustration of an example in which the pair of guide members 51L, 51R widen on the positive Y-axis direction side while narrowing on the negative Y-axis direction side. The pair of guide members 51L, 51R are basically installed so as to be parallel to each other, but in reality, their parallelism may be slightly tilted due to manufacturing or assembly errors.

[0056] 3B under the control of the controller 90. Specifically, the inspection apparatus 1 first monitors whether the conditions for aligning the wafer W are met, and determines whether to start aligning the wafer W (step S201).

[0057] For example, the alignment conditions include that a pre-inspection wafer W is placed on the mounting surface 30s of the stage 30, that the stage 30 is positioned at a reference position, and that the alignment bridge 40 is waiting at the standby position SP. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A , the slider bodies 52L, 52R of the alignment bridge 40 (movement device 50) are positioned in advance and wait at the standby position SP, which is the origin position set at the base end of each guide member 51. When the controller 90 determines that the alignment conditions are met (step S201: YES), the process proceeds to step S202.

[0058] In step S202, the inspection device 1 turns on the servo of one linear motor 53L of the pair of linear motors 53L, 53R and turns off the servo of the other linear motor 53R, thereby moving the bridge structure 56 from the standby position SP (step (A)). That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, in the bridge structure 56, only the linear motor 53L of the slider body 52L is driven (see the thick dotted line in FIG. 4B). At this time, since the servo of the linear motor 53R is off, the slider body 52R is in a free state.

[0059] Therefore, when the slider body 52L is moved in the negative direction of the Y axis by the driving of the linear motor 53L, the slider body 52R, which is connected to the slider body 52L via the bridge body 42, also follows (slides) along with the movement of the slider body 52L. In other words, when the linear motor 53L is driven, it does not receive the torque of the linear motor 53R that corresponds to the inclination of the pair of guide members 51. As a result, the moving device 50 can smoothly move the entire bridge structure 56 in the negative direction of the Y axis along the pair of guide members 51L, 51R.

[0060] Furthermore, the moving device 50 detects the positions of the slider bodies 52L, 52R by the linear encoders 55L, 55R when the bridge structure 56 moves. The position information detected by the linear encoder 55L is sent to the servo amplifier 54L (or the controller 90), and the servo amplifier 54L adjusts the driving state (driving speed, driving position, etc.) of the linear motor 53L based on this position information. This allows the inspection device 1 to accurately control the position of the bridge structure 56 in the Y-axis direction.

[0061] Then, during the forward movement of the bridge structure 56, the controller 90 monitors whether the bridge body 42 has reached the center position CP (step S203 in FIG. 3B ). For example, the controller 90 compares the position information of the linear encoder 55L with the position information of a preset center position CP to determine whether the center position CP has been reached. Note that, in order to position the bridge structure 56 in step S204, the controller 90 may be configured to determine that the bridge body 42 has reached a nearby position slightly before reaching the center position CP. When the bridge structure 56 has reached the center position CP (step S203: YES), the controller 90 proceeds to step S204.

[0062] In step S204, the inspection device 1 simultaneously turns on the servos of both of the pair of linear motors 53L, 53R to position the bridge structure 56 at the center position CP (step (B)). That is, as shown in Fig. 4C, the linear motor 53L of the slider body 52L and the linear motor 53R of the slider body 52R in the bridge structure 56 are driven (see the thick dotted lines in Fig. 4C).

[0063] As a result, linear motor 53L stops the movement of slider body 52L based on a preset stop position on the guide member 51L side (a position 485 mm away from the standby position SP in this embodiment). Meanwhile, linear motor 53R stops slider body 52R based on a preset stop position on the guide member 51R side. The stop positions of slider body 52L and slider body 52R are the Y coordinates of slider bodies 52L and 52R when bridge body 42 is positioned at center position CP, and are obtained by conducting experiments in advance after installation of inspection device 1 or during maintenance, for example. Therefore, the stop position of slider body 52L and the stop position on the slider body 52R side may be different from each other. As an example, if the distance in the Y-axis direction of the bridge body 42 from the standby position SP to the center position CP is 485 mm, the stopping position of the slider body 52L can be set to 485 mm, and the stopping position of the slider body 52R can be set to 485.18 mm, etc.

[0064] When positioning the bridge structure 42, the linear motor 53L receives the torque of the linear motor 53R in accordance with the inclination of the pair of guide members 51, while the linear motor 53R also receives the torque of the linear motor 53L in accordance with the inclination of the pair of guide members 51. However, because the bridge structure 42 has reached the vicinity of the center position CP (or the center position CP itself), it is possible to avoid inconveniences such as the linear motors 53L, 53R stopping due to the influence of the torque. As a result, the moving device 50 can accurately position the bridge structure 56 with respect to the center position CP.

[0065] Thereafter, the alignment bridge 40 detects the wafer W on the opposing mounting table 31 using the detection unit 43 (step S205). By accurately positioning the bridge structure 56 at the center position CP, the alignment bridge 40 can significantly improve the detection accuracy of the wafer W.

[0066] Then, the inspection device 1 turns on the servo of one linear motor 53R of the pair of linear motors 53L, 53R and turns off the servo of the other linear motor 53L to retract the bridge structure 56 from the center position CP (step S206: process (A)). That is, as shown in FIG. 4D, in the bridge structure 56, only the linear motor 53R of the slider body 52R is driven (see the thick dotted line in FIG. 4D). At this time, since the servo of the linear motor 53L is off, the slider body 52L is in a free state.

[0067] Therefore, when the slider body 52R is moved in the positive direction of the Y axis by the driving of the linear motor 53R, the slider body 52L, which is connected to the slider body 52R via the bridge member 42, also follows (slides) along with the movement of the slider body 52R. In other words, the moving device 50 can smoothly move the entire bridge structure 56 in the positive direction of the Y axis along the pair of guide members 51L, 51R, both in the forward movement and in the backward movement. Furthermore, during the movement of the bridge structure 56, the moving device 50 detects the positions of the slider bodies 52L, 52R using the linear encoders 55L, 55R, and adjusts the driving state (driving speed, driving position, etc.) of the linear motor 53L based on the position information of the linear encoder 55L. This allows the inspection device 1 to accurately control the position of the bridge structure 56 in the Y axis direction.

[0068] The controller 90 also monitors whether the bridge body 42 has reached the standby position SP during the return movement of the bridge structure 56 (step S207 in FIG. 3B). When the bridge body 42 has reached the standby position SP (step S207: YES), the controller 90 proceeds to step S208.

[0069] In step S208, the inspection device 1 turns on the servos of both of the pair of linear motors 53L, 53R to position the bridge structure 56 at the standby position SP (step (B)). The principle of positioning at the standby position SP is the same as that for the center position CP described above. This allows the moving device 50 to accurately position the bridge structure 56 with respect to the standby position SP as well.

[0070] As described above, the inspection device 1 performs uniaxial control in step (A) in which the bridge structure 56 moves, and performs multiaxial control in step (B) in which the bridge structure 56 is positioned. This makes it possible to improve the positioning accuracy at the position where the bridge structure 56 is stopped, while avoiding inconveniences such as stopping the movement of the bridge structure 56 in step (A). By performing positioning with high accuracy, the inspection device 1 can improve the alignment accuracy of the wafer W and narrow the movement range required for alignment, thereby improving the contact accuracy between the wafer W and the probes 22.

[0071] FIG. 5A is a graph illustrating the torque of each linear motor 53L, 53R in a movement method according to the embodiment. FIG. 5B is a graph illustrating the torque of each linear motor 53L, 53R in a movement method according to a reference example. The vertical axes in FIGS. 5A and 5B represent the output of the left linear motor 53L and the right linear motor 53R. To conveniently represent the reciprocity between the left linear motor 53L and the right linear motor 53R, the output of the left linear motor 53L is positive and the output of the right linear motor 53R is negative. Below, the torque applied to each linear motor 53L, 53R during movement of the bridge structure 56 (during step (A)) will be described separately for single-axis control according to the embodiment and multi-axis control according to the reference example.

[0072] 5B performs multi-axis control to drive both linear motors 53L and 53R when moving bridge structure 56. Here, as shown in FIGS. 4A to 4D, when the pair of guide members 51L and 51R are tilted so as to move away from each other, the torque of left linear motor 53L and the torque of right linear motor 53R are opposite to each other and increase toward center position CP in the Y-axis direction.

[0073] The linear motors 53L and 53R used in the moving device 50 are generally driven with low torque. In the example of FIG. 5B, when the distance from the standby position SP to the center position CP is 485 mm, the linear motors 53L and 53R exceed their respective rated torques at approximately 380 mm. Because the linear motors 53L and 53R are driven with low torque, they are forced to stop moving. Furthermore, the deviation in the torque readings of the left linear motor 53L and the right linear motor 53R (the deviation in the detected information of the linear encoders 55L and 55R) was approximately 50 μm. The deviation in the readings at the center position CP of the left linear motor 53L and the center position CP of the right linear motor 53R was more than 150 μm. In this way, in the bridge structure 56 according to the reference example, even if the guide members 51L, 51R are misaligned by only about 50 μm or more, the linear motors 53L, 53R are likely to stop driving during movement.

[0074] In contrast, the movement method according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A performs uniaxial control by driving one of the linear motors 53L, 53R (the left linear motor 53L) to slide the bridge structure 42 during movement of the bridge structure 56. In this case, the torque of the left linear motor 53L fluctuates around the rated torque, while the torque of the other (the right linear motor 53R) is maintained at zero. In other words, even when the pair of guide members 51L, 51R are tilted away from each other, the torque of the left linear motor 53L and the torque of the right linear motor 53R do not oppose each other. Therefore, the bridge structure 56 can move smoothly toward the center position CP in the Y-axis direction even when the linear motors 53L, 53R are driven with low torque.

[0075] The movement method according to the embodiment then switches to multi-axis control, which drives both linear motors 53L and 53R at the center position CP. In multi-axis control, the linear motors 53L and 53R are stopped when the detection information of the linear encoders 55L and 55R reaches a predetermined stop position. The stop positions are determined through prior experiments to determine where the detection unit 43 of the bridge 42 accurately faces the center of each probe 22 on the inclined pair of guide members 51L and 51R. As a result, when the slider bodies 52L and 52R on the left and right sides reach their stop positions and stop the linear motors 53L and 53R, the bridge structure 56 can accurately position the bridge 42 at the center position CP.

[0076] 6A shows the measurement results of the positional deviation in the X-axis direction when positioning is repeated multiple times using a conventional air cylinder and the linear motor 53 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6B shows the measurement results of the positional deviation in the Y-axis direction when positioning is repeated multiple times using a conventional air cylinder and the linear motor 53 according to the embodiment. In addition, in the configuration using the linear motor 53, a movement method including the movement by single-axis control and positioning by multi-axis control is performed.

[0077] 6A, when a conventional air cylinder is used, the center position CP repeatedly deviates by approximately 1.6 μm in the X-axis direction. On the other hand, when the linear motor 53 according to the embodiment is used, positioning is repeatedly performed with the center position CP deviating to 0.1 μm or less in the X-axis direction. Therefore, it can be said that the linear motor 53 can provide more accurate positioning in the X-axis direction.

[0078] As shown in Figure 6B, when a conventional air cylinder is used, the center position CP repeatedly deviates by approximately 1.2 μm in the Y-axis direction. On the other hand, when the linear motor 53 according to the embodiment is used, positioning is repeatedly performed with the deviation of the center position CP limited to approximately 0.4 μm in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, it can be said that applying the linear motor 53 also provides more accurate positioning in the Y-axis direction. Note that the reason why the positional fluctuation in the Y-axis direction is greater than the positional fluctuation in the X-axis direction during repeated positioning is that, as described above, the bridge structure 56 is moved in the Y-axis direction, and positioning errors in the Y-axis direction are more likely to be larger than those in the X-axis direction.

[0079] 7 is a table showing the measurement results of movement time when positioning was repeated multiple times using a conventional air cylinder and the linear motor 53 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, when the conventional air cylinder was used, the average time required to move from the standby position SP to the center position CP was 1,770 msec. In contrast, when the linear motor 53 according to the embodiment was used, the average time required to move from the standby position SP to the center position CP was 1,343 msec. Therefore, by using the linear motor 53, the time required for forward movement from the standby position SP to the center position CP was improved by 24.1%.

[0080] Similarly, when a conventional air cylinder was used, the average time required to move from the center position CP to the standby position SP was 1,933 msec. In contrast, when the linear motor 53 according to the embodiment was used, the average time required to move from the center position CP to the standby position SP was 1,340 msec. Therefore, by using the linear motor 53, the return time required to move from the standby position SP to the center position CP was improved by 30.7%.

[0081] In this way, the movement device 50 according to the embodiment can reduce the time required to move the bridge structure 56 by applying the linear motor 53. Therefore, the inspection apparatus 1 can reduce the time required for alignment of the wafer W, and ultimately improve the throughput of the entire inspection.

[0082] The moving device 50, inspection device 1, and moving method according to the embodiment are not limited to the above embodiment and may take various forms. For example, the moving device 50 according to the embodiment is configured to include a pair (two) of guide members 51L and 51R, slider bodies 52L and 52R, linear motors 53L and 53R, servo amplifiers 54L and 54R, and linear encoders 55L and 55R. However, the number of these components is not limited to two, and the device may be configured with three or more components. Even with three or more components, smooth movement and highly accurate positioning can be achieved by performing single-axis control (or two-axis control) during movement and two-axis control (or multi-axis control) during positioning.

[0083] Furthermore, in the movement method according to the embodiment, when the bridge body 42 moves, only one linear motor 53 is driven, and the other linear motor 53 is not driven (torque is zero). However, the movement method is not limited to this, and the bridge body 42 may be moved by generating a slight torque in the other linear motor 53. In other words, in single-axis control, the torque of the other linear motor 53 is set to be significantly lower (for example, approximately 1 / 100 to 1 / 2) than the torque of one linear motor 53. This makes it possible to move the other slider body 52 more easily by the driving force of the other linear motor 53 without interfering with the movement of one slider body 52.

[0084] In the movement method according to the embodiment, single-axis control is performed during movement of the bridge structure 56, and multi-axis control is performed during positioning. In addition, the movement method may perform multi-axis control at the start of movement and perform single-axis control after a predetermined time has elapsed after the start of movement in order to suppress overshoot at the start of movement in one of the linear motors 53 on the driving side.

[0085] Furthermore, in the movement method according to the embodiment, uniaxial control and multiaxial control are performed both during the forward movement of the bridge body 42 from the standby position SP to the center position CP and during the return movement of the bridge body 42 from the center position CP to the standby position SP. However, the movement method may be configured to perform only uniaxial control (without multiaxial control) during the return movement of the bridge body 42 from the center position CP to the standby position SP. This allows the movement devices 50, 50A to accurately stop the bridge body 42 at the center position CP, where positioning accuracy is required, and to complete the movement of the bridge body 42 to the standby position SP, where positioning accuracy is not required, in a short time.

[0086] Furthermore, the moving device 50 is not limited to a configuration in which one bridge body 42 is bridged and moved along a pair of guide members 51L, 51R, but may also be configured, for example, in which multiple bridge bodies 42 move synchronously.

[0087] 8 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a moving device 50A according to a modified example. The moving device 50A according to the modified example differs from the moving device 50 of the alignment bridge 40 in that the moving device 50A is applied to the moving unit 32 that moves the mounting table 31 on which the wafer W is placed. For example, the moving device 50A is applied to the X-axis moving mechanism 33 and the Y-axis moving mechanism 34 of the moving unit 32, and determines the horizontal coordinate position of the mounting table 31.

[0088] As an example, the movement device 50A of the Y-axis movement mechanism 34 has a plurality (pairs) of shaft-type linear motors (hereinafter referred to as shaft motors 60) extending in the Y-axis direction. Each shaft motor 60 includes a shaft 61, a slider body 62 that moves along the shaft 61, and a servo amplifier and a linear encoder (not shown). The slider body 62 of each shaft motor 60 is configured to be free relative to the shaft 61 when the shaft motor 60 is stopped. The mounting table 31 corresponds to the bridge 42 described above and is fixed across each slider body 62.

[0089] The moving device 50A configured in this manner can also smoothly move the mounting table 31 by performing single-axis control, which drives one of the shaft motors 60 during movement. Furthermore, the moving device 50A can accurately position the mounting table 31 at a target position by performing multi-axis control, which drives both of the shaft motors 60 during positioning.

[0090] The technical ideas and effects of the present disclosure explained in the above embodiments will be described below.

[0091] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a moving device 50, 50A including a plurality of guide members 51, a plurality of slider bodies 52 provided on each of the plurality of guide members 51 and moving along the plurality of guide members 51, a bridge body 42 fixed across the plurality of slider bodies 52, a plurality of drive units (linear motor 53, shaft motor 60) that move each of the plurality of slider bodies 52 independently, a plurality of detection units (linear encoder 55) that detect the positions of the plurality of slider bodies 52, and a control unit (controller 90) that controls the plurality of drive units based on detection information from the plurality of detection units to move the plurality of slider bodies 52 and the bridge body 42, wherein the control unit controls (A) a step of moving the bridge body 42 using the driving force of one of the plurality of drive units, and (B) a step of simultaneously driving one of the plurality of drive units and another drive unit to position the bridge body 42 at the end of step (A).

[0092] As described above, the moving devices 50, 50A move the bridge body 42 using the driving force of one drive unit (linear motor 53, shaft motor 60) in step (A), thereby minimizing the influence of other driving forces. Therefore, the moving devices 50, 50A can smoothly move the bridge body 42 along the multiple guide members 51. Moreover, the moving devices 50, 50A can accurately position the bridge body 42 by simultaneously driving the multiple drive units in step (B). As a result, the moving devices 50, 50A can achieve effects such as stabilizing the movement of the bridge body 42, improving positioning accuracy, and reducing positioning time.

[0093] Furthermore, the control unit (controller 90) sets the driving force of the other driving units (linear motor 53, shaft motor 60) to zero in step (A). As a result, in step (A), the bridge body 42 is not subjected to opposing torque from the other driving unit, and can be moved stably.

[0094] Furthermore, the plurality of guide members 51, the plurality of slider bodies 52, the plurality of drive units (linear motors 53, shaft motors 60), and the plurality of detectors (linear encoders 55) are provided in pairs, thereby enabling the movement devices 50 and 50A to smoothly move the bridge body 42 (mounting table 31) while maintaining a simplified configuration.

[0095] Furthermore, the control unit (controller 90) moves the bridge body 42 in step (A) and switches to step (B) at a position where the bridge body 42 is to be stopped or at a position near the position where the bridge body 42 is to be stopped. As a result, the moving device 50 can perform multi-axis control only at the position where the bridge body 42 is to be stopped, thereby enabling the bridge body 42 to be positioned with high precision.

[0096] The control unit (controller 90) also stores in advance stop positions for each of the plurality of slider bodies 52 corresponding to the positions at which the bridge body 42 is to be stopped, and in step (B) stops the driving of the drive units (linear motors 53, shaft motors 60) at the stop positions for each of the plurality of slider bodies 52. This allows the moving device 50 to stop each slider body 52 at its respective stop position, and as a result, it becomes possible to position the bridge body 42 with high precision.

[0097] The bridge body 42 is configured to reciprocate between the standby position SP and the target position (center position CP), and the control unit (controller 90) performs steps (A) and (B) both when moving the bridge body 42 forward from the standby position SP to the target position and when moving the bridge body 42 back from the target position to the standby position SP. This allows the moving device 50 to accurately position the bridge body 42 even when returning the bridge body 42 from the target position to the standby position SP, making it possible to stably maintain control accuracy during the next movement.

[0098] Furthermore, the control unit (controller 90) differentiates one drive unit (linear motor 53, shaft motor 60) that drives in step (A) during forward movement from the other drive unit that drives in step (A) during backward movement. This makes it possible for the movement devices 50, 50A to suppress adverse effects caused by continuously using only one drive unit, thereby improving durability, etc.

[0099] The bridge body 42 is configured to reciprocate between a standby position SP and a target position (center position CP), and the control unit (controller 90) performs steps (A) and (B) during the forward movement of the bridge body 42 from the standby position SP to the target position, and performs step (A) but does not perform step (B) during the backward movement of the bridge body 42 from the target position to the standby position SP. This allows the moving devices 50, 50A to stop the bridge body 42 accurately at the target position and complete the movement of the bridge body 42 to the standby position in a short time.

[0100] The plurality of drive units are linear motors 53 provided for each of the plurality of slider bodies 52. This eliminates the need for the moving device 50 to have drive units at the end of the guide member 51, thereby contributing to space saving.

[0101] Furthermore, the bridge 42 is an alignment bridge 40 that faces the substrate (wafer W) at a position where the bridge 42 is stopped and has a detection unit 43 that detects the position of the substrate. This allows the moving device 50 to accurately position the alignment bridge 40 and then detect the position of the substrate (wafer W) in a space-saving manner and with high accuracy.

[0102] A second aspect of the present disclosure is an inspection apparatus 1 that inspects a substrate placed on the stage 30, the inspection apparatus 1 having a stage 30 on which a substrate (wafer W) is placed, and an alignment bridge 40 that moves relative to the stage 30 to detect the position of the substrate, wherein at least one of the stage 30 and the alignment bridge 40 includes a plurality of guide members 51, a plurality of slider bodies 52 that are provided on each of the plurality of guide members 51 and move along the plurality of guide members 51, a bridge body 42 that is fixed across the plurality of slider bodies 52, and a bridge body 42 that moves each of the plurality of slider bodies 52 independently. the control unit (controller 90) controls the plurality of driving units (linear motor 53, shaft motor 60) to move the plurality of slider bodies 52, the plurality of detecting units (linear encoder 55) to detect the positions of the plurality of slider bodies 52, respectively, based on the detection information of the plurality of detecting units, thereby moving the plurality of slider bodies 52 and the bridge body 42; and the control unit controls (A) a step of moving the bridge body 42 by the driving force of one of the plurality of driving units, and (B) a step of simultaneously driving one of the plurality of driving units and another driving unit to position the bridge body 42 at the end of the step (A).

[0103] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present disclosure is a moving method including a plurality of guide members 51, a plurality of slider bodies 52 provided on each of the plurality of guide members 51 and moving along the plurality of guide members 51, a bridge body 42 fixed across the plurality of slider bodies 52, a plurality of drive units (linear motor 53, shaft motor 60) that move each of the plurality of slider bodies 52 independently, and a plurality of detection units (linear encoder 55) that detect the positions of the plurality of slider bodies 52, and controlling the plurality of drive units based on detection information from the plurality of detection units to move the plurality of slider bodies 52 and the bridge body 42, the method comprising: (A) a step of moving the bridge body 42 by a drive force of one of the plurality of drive units; and (B) a step of simultaneously driving one of the plurality of drive units and another drive unit at the end of step (A) to position the bridge body 42. In the second and third embodiments described above, the bridge body 42 can be smoothly moved along the plurality of guide members 51 and can be positioned with high precision.

[0104] The moving device 50, 50A, inspection device 1, and moving method according to the presently disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be configured in other ways as long as they are not inconsistent, and can be combined as long as they are not inconsistent.

[0105] This application claims priority from basic application No. 2023-183404, filed on October 25, 2023, with the Japan Patent Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0106] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Inspection device 42 Bridge body 50, 50A Movement device 51 Guide member 52 Slider body 53 Linear motor 55 Linear encoder 60 Shaft motor 90 Controller

Claims

1. A moving device including: a plurality of guide members; a plurality of slider bodies provided on each of the plurality of guide members and moving respectively along the plurality of guide members; a bridge body fixed across the plurality of slider bodies; a plurality of drive units for independently moving each of the plurality of slider bodies; a plurality of detection units for detecting the positions of the plurality of slider bodies, respectively; and a control unit for controlling the plurality of drive units based on detection information from the plurality of detection units to move the plurality of slider bodies and the bridge body, wherein the control unit controls: (A) a step of moving the bridge body by a drive force of one of the plurality of drive units; and (B) at the completion of step (A), a step of simultaneously driving the one drive unit and another drive unit of the plurality of drive units to position the bridge body.

2. The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the driving force of the other driving unit to zero in the step (A).

3. The moving device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of guide members, the plurality of slider bodies, the plurality of drive units and the plurality of detection units are provided in pairs.

4. A moving device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit moves the cross-linked body in step (A) and switches to step (B) at a position where the cross-linked body is to be stopped or at a position near the position where the cross-linked body is to be stopped.

5. The moving device described in claim 4, wherein the control unit prestores stop positions for each of the plurality of slider bodies corresponding to positions at which the bridge body is to be stopped, and in step (B), stops driving the drive unit at the stop positions for each of the plurality of slider bodies.

6. A moving device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bridge body is configured to reciprocate between a standby position and a target position, and the control unit performs steps (A) and (B) both during a forward movement of the bridge body from the standby position to the target position and during a return movement of the bridge body from the target position to the standby position.

7. The moving device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit causes one of the drive units to be driven in the step (A) during the forward movement to be different from the one of the drive units to be driven in the step (A) during the return movement.

8. A moving device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bridge body is configured to reciprocate between a standby position and a target position, and the control unit performs steps (A) and (B) during a forward movement to move the bridge body from the standby position to the target position, and performs step (A) but does not perform step (B) during a return movement to move the bridge body from the target position to the standby position.

9. The moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of drive units are linear motors provided for each of the plurality of slider bodies.

10. A moving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bridge body is an alignment bridge that faces the substrate at a position where the bridge body is stopped and has a detection unit that detects the position of the substrate.

11. An inspection apparatus having a stage on which a substrate is placed, and an alignment bridge that moves relatively to the stage to detect a position of the substrate, and which inspects the substrate placed on the stage, wherein at least one of the stage or the alignment bridge includes: a plurality of guide members; a plurality of slider bodies provided on each of the plurality of guide members and moving along the respective guide members; a bridge body fixed across the plurality of slider bodies; a plurality of driving units that independently move each of the plurality of slider bodies; a plurality of detection units that detect the positions of the plurality of slider bodies, respectively; and a control unit that controls the plurality of driving units based on detection information from the plurality of detection units to move the plurality of slider bodies and the bridge body, wherein the control unit controls: (A) a step of moving the bridge body by a driving force of one of the plurality of driving units; and (B) at the completion of step (A), a step of simultaneously driving the one driving unit and another driving unit of the plurality of driving units to position the bridge body.

12. A method for moving a plurality of slider bodies including a plurality of guide members, a plurality of slider bodies provided on each of the plurality of guide members and moving along the respective guide members, a bridge body fixed across the plurality of slider bodies, a plurality of driving units for independently moving each of the plurality of slider bodies, and a plurality of detecting units for detecting positions of the plurality of slider bodies, the method comprising: (A) a step of moving the bridge body by a driving force of one of the plurality of driving units; and (B) a step of simultaneously driving the one driving unit and the other driving units of the plurality of driving units at the completion of the step (A) to position the bridge body.

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