Vibration isolation device

Abstract

This vibration isolation device (1) is provided with a vibration isolation table (10) on which a vibration isolation object is mounted, a support unit (20) that supports the vibration isolation table (10) in the vertical direction, a vibration damping fluid spring (30) that presses the support unit (20) from the horizontal direction and has a spring communication passage (33h) that communicates with a fluid chamber (32) provided inside, a valve (40) that has a valve fluid supply discharge port (40h) that supplies or discharges fluid to or from the vibration damping fluid spring (30), and a fixing part (50) for fixing the valve (40), the fixing part (50) having a fixing part fluid passage (51h), the spring communication passage (33h) being connected to one side of the fixing part fluid passage (51h), and the valve fluid supply discharge port (40h) being connected to the other side of the fixing part fluid passage (51h).

Description

Vibration isolator

[0001] The present technology relates to a vibration isolation device for, for example, semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0002] In vibration isolation devices that use fluid springs, there is a demand for improved performance in quickly stopping the vibration of the base plate that accompanies the acceleration and deceleration of the movable stage. For example, if the moving speed of a movable member such as a movable stage is increased to improve work efficiency, the impact when it stops will be greater. To quickly stop the vibration caused by that impact, it is necessary to improve vibration control performance. When vibration control is performed using a fluid spring, it is necessary to increase the response speed of the fluid spring.

[0003] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2005-163915 (Patent Document 1) discloses a configuration related to a fluid spring. For example, when viewed horizontally, a fluid spring provided between an outer frame and a vibration-isolating rubber is connected to a receiver tank by a fluid passage, thereby supplying and discharging fluid. The fluid passage is composed of a through-hole provided in the outer frame and a passage provided outside the outer frame.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-163915

[0005] In the fluid spring configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, a sufficient amount of fluid must be supplied to the fluid spring in order to apply a force to the surface plate at a predetermined pressure, and it cannot be said that the fluid spring, which requires early activation, can fully exhibit its responsiveness. One of the reasons for this is thought to be that the volume of the piping connecting the valve and the fluid spring (fluid chamber) affects responsiveness.

[0006] In the configuration described in Patent Document 1, a long flow path is provided by a piping section. The volume occupied by this flow path affects the responsiveness of the fluid spring. In other words, until a sufficient amount of fluid is supplied to this flow path, the fluid spring does not receive enough fluid to sufficiently press against an object such as a surface plate, making it difficult to generate sufficient pressing force. An impact is applied to the object to be damped, such as a surface plate, due to the movement of a moving body such as a stage, and the fluid spring needs to quickly fill with fluid in order to quickly stop the vibration of the object to be damped due to the impact.

[0007] The present technology has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present technology is to provide a vibration isolation device having a configuration that enables improvement in the responsiveness of a fluid spring.

[0008] [1] The vibration isolation device according to the present technology comprises a vibration isolation table on which an object to be isolated from vibration is mounted, a support part that supports the vibration isolation table in a vertical direction, a vibration damping fluid spring that presses the support part horizontally and has a spring connecting passage that communicates with a fluid chamber provided inside, a valve that has a valve fluid supply and discharge port that supplies or discharges fluid to the vibration damping fluid spring, and a fixed part that fixes the valve, wherein the fixed part has a fixed part fluid passage, the spring connecting passage is connected to one side of the fixed part fluid passage, and the valve fluid supply and discharge port is connected to the other side of the fixed part fluid passage.

[0009] [2] The vibration isolation device described in [1], wherein one or more of the valves are provided, the fixed part is provided with one or more fixed part fluid passages connected to the valve fluid supply and discharge ports of each of the valves, and the one or more fixed part fluid passages lead to the same fluid chamber.

[0010] [3] An anti-vibration device according to either [1] or [2], wherein the vibration damping fluid spring, the fixed part, and the valve are arranged in pairs at symmetrical positions so as to sandwich the support part in the horizontal direction.

[0011] According to this technology, by reducing the volume occupied by this passage, it is possible to provide an anti-vibration device having a configuration that can obtain the required response of a fluid spring while ensuring the necessary stroke of the piston required for vibration control.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a vibration isolation apparatus of embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of the vibration isolation apparatus of embodiment 1, seen from one valve side. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing control of supply and exhaust of fluid to and from a fluid chamber of the vibration isolation apparatus of embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a vibration isolation apparatus of embodiment 2. Fig. 5 is a first schematic view showing variations in valve arrangement of another embodiment. Fig. 6 is a second schematic view showing variations in valve arrangement of another embodiment. Fig. 7 is a third schematic view showing variations in valve arrangement of another embodiment. Fig. 8 is a partial longitudinal sectional view explaining the configuration of a vibration isolation apparatus in which the capacity of a fluid chamber is changed, of another embodiment.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described. The same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference characters, and description thereof will not be repeated in some cases.

[0014] In each embodiment described below, when referring to the number, amount, dimensions, etc., the scope of the present technology is not necessarily limited to the number, amount, dimensions, etc., unless otherwise specified. In the following embodiments, each component is not necessarily essential to the present technology, unless otherwise specified. The same reference numerals are used for the same or equivalent parts, and redundant descriptions may not be repeated. It is intended from the beginning that the configurations in the embodiments may be used in appropriate combination.

[0015] In this specification, the terms "comprise," "include," and "have" are open-ended. That is, when a certain configuration is included, other configurations may or may not be included. Furthermore, the present technology is not necessarily limited to those that achieve all of the effects mentioned in the present embodiment.

[0016] (Vibration isolation device 1) The configuration of a vibration isolation device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vibration isolation device 1, and Figure 2 is a partial perspective view of the vibration isolation device 1 as seen from one valve side.

[0017] The vibration isolation device 1 has a bilaterally symmetrical configuration with respect to a virtual plane that includes the vertical line VL and is perpendicular to the directional axis of the pressing direction of the piston 31. In the following explanation, a bilaterally symmetrical vibration isolation device 1 will be described, but it is not limited to the bilaterally symmetrical configuration, and a vibration isolation device having either one of the configurations may also be used.

[0018] The vibration isolation device 1 includes a flat vibration isolation table 10 on which an object to be isolated from vibration, such as a semiconductor manufacturing device, is mounted, a support section 20 provided vertically below the vibration isolation table 10, a vibration damping fluid spring 30 that presses the support section 20 horizontally, a valve 40, and a fixing section 50 that fixes the valve 40. The vibration damping fluid springs 30 are provided so as to be able to press against the support section 20 in a pair that are symmetrical with respect to an imaginary plane including a vertical line VL. One vibration damping fluid spring 30 is connected to at least one valve 40, but it may also be connected to multiple valves.

[0019] The support section 20 includes a support plate 22 provided on the vibration isolation table 10, and a connecting section 21 extending downward from the support plate 22 and connected to the vibration damping fluid spring 30. The support section 20 supports the vibration isolation table 10 in the horizontal direction at least by the vibration damping fluid spring 30. The fixing section 50 includes a side wall section 51 that fixes the valve 40, and a mounting wall 52 that supports the side wall section 51.

[0020] As will be described later, the valve 40 functions as a valve for switching the fluid flow path to control the supply and / or discharge of fluid to the fluid chamber 32, and is a device controlled by the control unit 100. While air is used as the fluid, the fluid is not limited to air; an inert gas such as nitrogen or a liquid can also be used. The valve 40 has a supply port that can supply the fluid to the fluid chamber 32. The valve 40 in this embodiment is provided with an intake port (not shown) that connects to a fluid supply source such as a compressor and an exhaust port (not shown) that connects to an exhaust path (not shown). The supply port of the valve 40 is connected to the fixed portion fluid passage 51h.

[0021] The valve 40 may be fixed to the side wall portion 51 by fixing the valve 40 to the surface of the side wall portion 51, or by forming a bottomed hole in the thickness direction of the side wall portion 51 and embedding the valve 40 in this hole to fix the valve 40 to the side wall portion 51. The valve 40 can be fixed by a known fixing method such as fastening or adhesive.

[0022] The above-described configurations of the vibration isolation table 10, the support portion 20, and the fixing portion 50 are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these configurations.

[0023] The vibration damping fluid spring 30 includes a base portion 33, a diaphragm 34, a piston 31, a fluid chamber 32, and a spring communication passage 33h. The base portion 33 has an opening 33p, a concave inner wall, and an internal space. The base portion 33 functions as a fluid chamber component, and the opening 33p is defined by its inner wall. The diaphragm 34 is provided as an elastic membrane portion that covers the opening 33p of the base portion 33. By covering the opening 33p, it prevents fluid from leaking out of the opening 33p. The piston 31 is provided on the opposite side of the diaphragm 34 from the opening 33p and is connected to the diaphragm 34. The fluid chamber 32 is defined by the base portion 33 and the diaphragm 34, and in this embodiment, it is composed of the inner wall and bottom of the base portion 33 and the inner surface of the diaphragm 34. The spring communication passage 33h is provided in the base portion 33 and supplies and / or discharges fluid into the fluid chamber 32. In addition, the connecting portion 21 of the support portion 20 is connected to the side of the piston 31 opposite to the side connected to the diaphragm 34.

[0024] The base portion 33 includes a circular wall portion 33a and a cylindrical standing wall portion 33b surrounding the periphery of the wall portion 33a. A spring communication passage 33h is provided in the wall portion 33a. An opening 33p is defined in an enclosed end portion 33t of the standing wall portion 33b on the opposite side from the wall portion 33a. The periphery of the diaphragm 34 is fixed to the end portion 33t of the standing wall portion 33b by fixing means (not shown).

[0025] In this embodiment, the fluid chamber 32 maintains a predetermined volume to ensure a predetermined responsiveness, and therefore, the base portion 33 preferably has strength sufficient to maintain the volume of the fluid chamber 32. The base portion 33 maintains the volume of the fluid chamber 32 according to its intended use. The wall surface portion 33a maintains the standing wall portion 33b and is connected to the side wall portion 51 to maintain the vibration damping fluid spring 30, and therefore its thickness and material are appropriately selected depending on the pressure applied to the fluid chamber 32, etc. The inner surface of the wall surface portion 33a functions as the bottom of the fluid chamber 32. The diameter of the spring communication passage 33h as a flow passage is specified depending on the flow rate and flow velocity of the fluid passing through it.

[0026] When the fluid flows from the spring communication passage 33h into the fluid chamber 32, the diaphragm 34 expands and deforms toward the piston 31, causing the piston 31 to move in a direction away from the wall surface portion 33a.

[0027] A fixed portion fluid passage 51h is provided in the side wall portion 51. One end of the fixed portion fluid passage 51h is directly connected to the spring communication passage 33h. A valve 40 is fixed to the surface of the side wall portion 51 opposite the base portion 33. The valve 40 has a valve fluid supply / discharge port 40h that supplies fluid to the vibration damping fluid spring 30. The other end of the fixed portion fluid passage 51h is directly connected to the valve fluid supply / discharge port 40h of the valve 40.

[0028] The fixed part fluid passage 51h preferably communicates from the valve 41 side of the side wall 51 to the vibration damping fluid spring 30 side at the position where the base 33 is connected to the side wall 51, that is, at the position where the base 33 is positioned relative to the side wall 51 in the vertical and horizontal directions. The fixed part fluid passage 51h preferably opens to the center of the bottom surface of the fluid chamber 32, and is preferably coaxial with the pressing direction of the vibration damping fluid spring 30.

[0029] For responsiveness, the fixed part fluid passage 51h is preferably linear, but may be inclined or curved relative to the pressing direction as long as sufficient responsiveness is ensured. For example, the valve-side opening of the fixed part fluid passage 51h may be located within a range of plane symmetry with respect to the range of the side wall 51 where the base part 33 is connected, with the side wall 51 as the reference plane. Depending on the required responsiveness, the fixed part fluid passage 51h can be appropriately set within a range where the path length is sufficiently short.

[0030] In the above description, "directly connected" means that no other connecting member is interposed. Note that the use of a leakage suppression member such as a sealant to prevent fluid from leaking to the outside is also included in the "directly connected" configuration. By connecting the vibration damping fluid spring 30 and the valve 40 to the side wall portion 51 without any intervening member such as a connecting member, the path length of the flow path can be shortened, and a path length that ensures sufficient responsiveness can be achieved.

[0031] In this embodiment, the material and thickness of the side wall portion 51 are not limited as long as it can maintain the vibration damping fluid spring 30 and the valve 40 in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the fixed portion fluid passage 51h is provided to communicate with the spring communication passage 33h, and the diameter of the passage is specified depending on the flow rate and flow velocity of the fluid passing through.

[0032] In this embodiment, the center lines CL of the through holes of the valve fluid supply / discharge port 40h, the fixed portion fluid passage 51h, and the spring communication passage 33h are arranged coaxially in the horizontal direction.

[0033] (Control System) A control system for introducing or discharging fluid into or from the fluid chamber 32 of the vibration isolation apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the control of introducing or discharging fluid into or from the fluid chamber 32 of the vibration isolation apparatus 1.

[0034] A control unit 100 on the main device side is connected to the valve 40 and controls the switching operation of the valve 40. An air supply system 200 is connected to the valve 40, and the introduction of fluid into the valve 40 is controlled by the control unit 100. An exhaust system 300 is connected to the valve 40, and the exhaust of fluid to the valve 40 is controlled by the control unit 100.

[0035] (Actions and Effects) As described above, according to the vibration isolation device 1 of this embodiment, the valve fluid supply and discharge port 40h of the valve 40 is directly connected to the side wall portion 51 of the fixed portion 50 that fixes the vibration damping fluid spring 30, and the supply paths for passing the fluid consist only of the fixed portion fluid passage 51h and the spring connecting passage 33h, with a minimum piping configuration that does not involve any other intervening pipes, thereby achieving a structure that minimizes the volume of the passages.

[0036] By adopting this configuration, it is possible to obtain the sufficient response speed required for a vibration-damping fluid spring as a vibration-damping actuator. For example, the vibration-damping device 1 of this embodiment can be suitably used in a vibration-damping table of a semiconductor manufacturing device incorporating a high-speed stage.

[0037] (Embodiment 2) Another embodiment of a vibration isolation device will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vibration isolation device 1A of embodiment 2. The basic configuration is the same as that of the vibration isolation device 1 in embodiment 1 described above, but the positions of the valve fluid supply and discharge port 40h, the fixed portion fluid passage 51h, and the through holes of the spring communication passage 33h are offset from the horizontal center line CL of the piston 31.

[0038] The spring communication passage 33h is provided at a position shifted upward with respect to the center line CL, and the fixed portion fluid passage 51h is provided so as to incline upward as it becomes farther away from the piston 31.

[0039] For example, when the valve 40 is to be disposed at a position displaced from the horizontal center line CL due to design constraints, a configuration such as the vibration isolation device 1A of this embodiment is selected.

[0040] Even with this configuration, it is possible to directly connect the valve fluid supply and discharge port 40h of the valve 40 to the side wall portion 51 of the fixing portion 50 that fixes the vibration damping fluid spring 30, and the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment 1 can be obtained.

[0041] Other Embodiments The configuration of a vibration isolation device according to still another embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 8. Fig. 5 to Fig. 7 are first to third schematic diagrams showing variations in the arrangement of the valve 40, and Fig. 8 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a vibration isolation device in which the capacity of the fluid chamber 32 is changed.

[0042] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram viewed from the valve 40, showing a case in which one valve 40 is provided in the vibration isolation device 1 shown in embodiment 1, where the center lines CL of the valve fluid supply and discharge port 40h, the fixed part fluid passage 51h, and the through holes of the spring communication passage 33h are arranged coaxially in the horizontal direction.

[0043] The number of valves 40 is not limited to one, but may be two as shown in FIG. 6, or four as shown in FIG. 7, or five or more valves 40 may be provided.

[0044] 8, a spacer 80 may be disposed in contact with the wall surface portion 33a of the fluid chamber 32 of the base portion 33 in order to reduce the volume of the fluid chamber 32. The spacer 80 is provided with a communication hole 80h for communicating between the spring communication passage 33h and the fluid chamber 32. The communication hole 80h may be configured as a single passage like the spring communication passage 33h, or may branch into multiple holes toward the fluid chamber 32 as shown in FIG.

[0045] The valve 40 is connected directly to the fixed part 50 to which the vibration damping fluid spring 30 is fixed, without any intervening member such as an attachment. Therefore, the response speed of the vibration damping fluid spring 30, which is actuated by the fluid supplied from the valve actuated by a signal from the control part 100, is fast, and the responsiveness of the vibration damping action of the vibration damping fluid spring 30 is excellent.

[0046] Furthermore, the fluid present in the flow path from the valve 40 to the fluid chamber 32, together with the fluid present in the fluid chamber 32, exhibits spring properties against the force applied from the vibration isolation table 10 to the piston 31, so a smaller amount of fluid present in the flow path from the valve 40 to the fluid chamber 32 can provide better vibration damping for the vibration isolation table 10. This is therefore advantageous for quickly stopping vibrations caused by a stage that is driven at high accelerations such as 1 G, 2 G, and 3 G.

[0047] In addition, the structure in which the valve 40 is fixed to the fixed part 50 to which the vibration damping fluid spring 30 is fixed is used for vibration damping as described above, and is used together with a vibration damping actuator (not shown) such as a fluid spring or Lorentz motor arranged in the vertical direction of the vibration isolation table 10, but it can also be used as a vibration damping fluid spring.

[0048] Although the embodiments of the present technology have been described above, the disclosed embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present technology is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0049] 1 Vibration isolation device, 1A Vibration isolation device, 10 Vibration isolation table, 20 Support portion, 21 Connection portion, 22 Support plate, 30 Vibration damping fluid spring, 31 Piston, 32 Fluid chamber, 33 Base portion, 33a Wall portion, 33b Standing wall portion, 33h Communication passage, 33h Spring communication passage, 33p Opening, 33t End portion, 34 Diaphragm, 40 Valve, 40h Valve fluid supply and discharge port, 50 Fixed portion, 51 Side wall portion, 51h Fixed portion fluid passage, 52 Mounting wall, 80 Spacer, 80h Communication hole, 100 Control portion, 200 Air supply system, 300 Exhaust system.

Claims

1. A vibration isolation device comprising: a vibration isolation table on which an object to be isolated is mounted; a support part that supports the vibration isolation table in a vertical direction; a vibration-damping fluid spring that presses the support part horizontally and has a spring connecting passage that connects to a fluid chamber provided therein; a valve having a valve fluid supply and discharge port that supplies or discharges fluid to the vibration-damping fluid spring; and a fixed part that fixes the valve, wherein the fixed part has a fixed part fluid passage, the spring connecting passage is connected to one side of the fixed part fluid passage, and the valve fluid supply and discharge port is connected to the other side of the fixed part fluid passage.

2. The vibration isolation device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the valves are provided, the fixed part is provided with one or more fixed part fluid passages connected to the valve fluid supply and exhaust ports of each of the valves, and the one or more fixed part fluid passages lead to the same fluid chamber.

3. The vibration isolation device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration damping fluid spring, the fixed portion, and the valve are arranged in pairs at symmetrical positions so as to sandwich the support portion in the horizontal direction.

Images