Fine-motion stage and motion system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of precision apparatuses. Provided are a fine-motion stage and a motion system. The fine-motion stage involved in the present application comprises a top plate and at least three vertical driving devices for driving part of the top plate to move in a direction perpendicular to a reference plane. The at least three vertical driving devices include three vertical driving devices whose axes are not coplanar. Each vertical driving device comprises a first linear driving mechanism and a second linear driving mechanism connected to a first driving portion of the first linear driving mechanism, wherein a second driving portion of the second linear driving mechanism is connected to the top plate by means of a driving decoupling mechanism; and the driving precision of the second linear driving mechanism is higher than the driving precision of the first linear driving mechanism.

Description

A micro-motion stage and motion system

[0001] This application claims priority to the patent application filed on December 27, 2024, with application number 202411943081.9 and title "A Micro-motion Stage and Motion System" with the China National Intellectual Property Administration. Technical Field

[0002] The embodiments in this specification relate to the technical field of precision equipment, specifically to a micro-motion stage and motion system. Background Technology

[0003] A micro-motion stage can carry materials and achieve their displacement and / or rotation. The micro-motion stage may include three or more vertical drive devices, which can be linear drive devices used to drive a portion of the micro-motion stage to move along or parallel to the z-axis. In some related embodiments, the vertical drive of the micro-motion stage adopts a single motor direct drive scheme, which can achieve displacement in the z-axis direction and rotation in the Rz direction, but cannot accurately position in the Rx and Ry directions, and its stroke and accuracy depend on a single motor, resulting in low precision. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This specification provides one or more embodiments of a micro-motion stage, comprising: a top plate; at least three vertical drive devices for driving a portion of the top plate to move in a vertical direction within a reference plane; the at least three vertical drive devices include three vertical drive devices with non-coplanar axes; each vertical drive device includes: a first linear drive mechanism and a second linear drive mechanism connected to a first drive portion of the first linear drive mechanism, the second drive portion of the second linear drive mechanism being connected to the top plate via a drive decoupling mechanism; wherein the drive accuracy of the second linear drive mechanism is higher than that of the first linear drive mechanism.

[0005] In some embodiments, the vertical drive device further includes: a drive device base; a first housing of the first linear drive mechanism is connected to the drive device base, and a second housing of the second linear drive mechanism is connected to the first drive portion of the first linear drive mechanism; a portion of the first housing is located on one side of a portion of the second housing.

[0006] In some embodiments, the second housing includes an upward-opening second accommodating space for accommodating a portion of the second drive mechanism and a connecting plate extending to one side from the opening of the second accommodating space; the first drive portion of the first linear drive mechanism is connected to the connecting plate; and the second drive portion of the second linear drive mechanism moves along the vertical direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, the vertical drive device further includes a guide device mounted on the side of the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism.

[0008] In some embodiments, the guiding device includes: a fixed guide rail and a movable guide rail that are matched with each other, the fixed guide rail being connected to the base of the driving device, and the movable guide rail being connected to the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism; or, the guiding device includes: a linear motion guide spring, one end of the linear motion guide spring being connected to the base of the driving device, and the other end of the linear motion guide spring being connected to the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism.

[0009] In some embodiments, the vertical drive device further includes: a drive device base, a spring mounting seat connected to the drive device base, and a first vertical guide spring; a portion of the first vertical guide spring is connected to the spring mounting seat, and another portion of the first vertical guide spring is connected to the top plate; the two sides of the first vertical guide spring are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane containing the direction of movement of the first drive part of the first linear drive mechanism.

[0010] In some embodiments, the spring mounting base has a multi-step structure, and the spring mounting base includes at least a bottom step connected to the base of the drive device and a top step away from the base of the drive device, the size of the bottom step being larger than the size of the top step; the vertical guide spring includes a first region connected to the top step of the spring mounting base, a second region connected to the top plate and deformable relative to the first region, and a third region through which the drive decoupling mechanism passes; or, the spring mounting base includes a mounting base plate and spring fixing portions disposed on both sides of the mounting base plate and protruding from the mounting base plate in the vertical direction; the vertical guide spring includes a moving part connected to the top plate and two guide portions respectively connected to both sides of the moving part, wherein the drive decoupling mechanism passes through the moving part, the guide portion is L-shaped, the guide portion includes a first guide portion extending to one side from the moving part and a second guide portion extending in the vertical direction connected to the first guide portion, the second guide portion being connected to the spring fixing portion, and the thickness of the moving part being greater than the thickness of the guide portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the vertical drive device further includes: a second vertical guide spring; the second vertical guide spring is disposed between the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism and the drive decoupling mechanism; the two second vertical guide springs are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane in which the movement direction of the second drive part of the second linear drive mechanism lies.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second vertical guide spring is in the shape of a straight line, an L-shape, or a C-shape.

[0013] In some embodiments, the drive decoupling mechanism is used to achieve decoupling in a third direction and / or a fourth direction, wherein the third direction is parallel to a first direction in the reference plane and the fourth direction is parallel to a second direction in the reference plane that intersects with the first direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the drive decoupling mechanism includes: a first decoupling fixing block fixedly connected to the second driving part of the second linear drive mechanism, a second decoupling fixing block fixedly connected to the top plate, an intermediate decoupling fixing block disposed between the first decoupling fixing block and the second decoupling fixing block, a first decoupling spring connecting the first decoupling fixing block and the intermediate decoupling fixing block, and a second decoupling spring connecting the second decoupling fixing block and the intermediate decoupling fixing block, wherein the first decoupling spring and the second decoupling spring are arranged crosswise; the drive decoupling mechanism is used to decouple the movement of the top plate into the deformation of the first decoupling spring and / or the second decoupling spring.

[0015] In some embodiments, the device further includes: one or more first vertical measuring devices, which are connected to the top plate via a first measuring decoupling mechanism, for measuring the position and displacement of the top plate.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first vertical measuring device includes: a vertical measuring device base, a tape mount slidably connected to the vertical measuring device base, a grating ruler disposed on the tape mount, and a reading head disposed within the vertical measuring device base that matches the grating ruler.

[0017] In some embodiments, the system further includes: a second vertical measuring device, the number of which corresponds to the number of the first vertical measuring devices, the second vertical measuring device being used to measure the displacement of the top plate relative to the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism.

[0018] In some embodiments, it further includes: one or more gravity compensation devices connected to the top plate, which provide the top plate with a force at least sufficient to compensate for the gravity of the top plate and the platform.

[0019] In some embodiments, the system further includes: a stage and a rotation module disposed on the top plate for driving the stage to rotate; the rotation module includes: a rotation base fixedly connected to the top plate, a rotation shaft rotatably connected to the rotation base, a rotation drive mechanism for driving the rotation shaft to rotate relative to the rotation base, and a rotation measuring device for measuring the rotation angle of the rotation shaft relative to the rotation base.

[0020] In some embodiments, the upper surface of the rotating base is flush with the upper surface of the top plate.

[0021] This specification provides a motion system according to one or more embodiments, wherein the system includes the micro-motion stage described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0022] The beneficial effects that the embodiments of this specification may bring include, but are not limited to: (1) the combination of the first linear drive mechanism and the second linear drive mechanism realizes the large stroke and high precision drive of the complex motion of the top plate, enabling the micro-motion stage to perform high precision material posture adjustment and also enabling the micro-motion stage to perform large stroke material transfer; (2) the complex motion of the top plate is decoupled by the drive decoupling mechanism corresponding to the vertical drive mechanism, avoiding the shear force generated by the complex motion of the top plate acting on the first linear drive mechanism or the second linear drive mechanism, and avoiding the wear caused by the direct friction between the first linear drive mechanism and the second linear drive mechanism and the top plate; (3) the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism is arranged on one side of the first housing of the first linear drive mechanism, thereby reducing the size of the micro-motion stage in the vertical direction; (4) the extension of the connecting plate in the lateral direction (5) The second linear drive mechanism is arranged to be placed on one side of the first linear drive mechanism; (6) The second linear drive mechanism is guided by the guide device to avoid the second drive part of the second linear drive mechanism from shifting in the vertical direction due to the vibration of the first linear drive mechanism; (7) The movement of the top plate is guided by the first vertical guide spring, and the two sides have a balanced guiding effect by the symmetrical first vertical guide spring; (8) The first vertical guide spring can be extended a long distance on both sides and has a large deformation space by the multi-stage stepped structure of the spring mounting seat, so that the first vertical guide spring with greater flexibility can be arranged, so that the micro-motion table can not only realize the posture adjustment of the material, but also realize the material transfer with a large stroke; (9) The first vertical guide spring can be deformed upward or downward by the U-shaped structure of the spring mounting seat. (9) The motion of the drive decoupling mechanism is guided by the second vertical guide spring, and the symmetrical second vertical guide spring provides balanced guidance on both sides; (10) The design of the second vertical guide spring with different shapes gives it different flexibility to adapt to different needs; (11) The top plate is decoupled in two or more directions by the drive decoupling mechanism, and the complex motion of the top plate is decoupled into a single deformation of the two springs by the first and second decoupling springs; (12) The top plate is measured with high precision by the first vertical measuring device to achieve large vertical closed-loop control; (13) The coarse-precision first vertical measuring device is used to measure the top plate with high precision to achieve large vertical closed-loop control; The combination of a vertical measuring device and a high-precision second vertical measuring device enables separate control of the first linear drive device and the second linear drive device, which is suitable for situations where the accuracy and stroke of the measuring device are insufficient; (14) the force compensation of the structure or various springs driven by the vertical drive mechanism is performed by the gravity compensation device, so that the high-precision second linear drive device in the vertical drive mechanism has a smaller load, thereby obtaining more accurate vertical positioning performance; (15) the rotation module realizes the rotation around the vertical direction; (16) the size of the micro-motion stage in the vertical direction is further reduced by setting the upper surface of the rotating base and the top plate to be flush.It should be noted that different embodiments may produce different beneficial effects. In different embodiments, the beneficial effects may be any one or a combination of the above, or any other possible beneficial effects. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0024] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a vertical drive device for a micro-stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0026] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the vertical drive device of the micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the vertical guide spring of the micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0028] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the vertical guide spring of the micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0029] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the vertical guide spring of the micro stage according to some other embodiments of this specification.

[0030] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the vertical guide spring of the micro stage according to some other embodiments of this specification.

[0031] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the vertical guide spring of the micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0032] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the linear motion guide spring of the vertical drive device of the micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0033] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of linear motion guide springs of a micro-stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0034] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of linear motion guide springs of a micro-stage according to some other embodiments of this specification.

[0035] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the guide spring of the second linear drive mechanism of the micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0036] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of the guide spring of the second linear drive mechanism of the micro stage according to some other embodiments of this specification.

[0037] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the guide spring of the second linear drive mechanism of the micro stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0038] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram of a first vertical measuring device for a micro-stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0039] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of the first measurement decoupling mechanism of the micro-stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0040] Figure 18 is an assembly schematic diagram of the second vertical measuring device of the micro-stage according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0041] Reference numerals: 1. Top plate; 2. Platform; 3. Vertical drive device; 31. First linear drive mechanism; 311. First drive unit; 312. First housing; 32. Second linear drive mechanism; 321. Second drive unit; 322. Second housing; 3221. Connecting plate; 33. Drive device base; 331. Drive device base bottom plate; 332. Drive device base side plate; 333. Drive device base back plate; 34. Spring mounting seat; 341. Bottom step; 342. Top step; 343. Mounting seat bottom plate; 344. Spring fixing part; 35. First vertical guide spring; 351. First region; 352. Second region; 353. Third region; 354. Moving part; 355. Guide part; 4. Drive decoupling mechanism; 41. First decoupling spring; 42. Second decoupling spring; 4 3. First decoupling fixing block; 44. Second decoupling fixing block; 45. Intermediate decoupling fixing block; 5. Guide device; 51. Fixed guide rail; 52. Movable guide rail; 53. Linear motion guide spring; 531. Linear motion guide spring fixing part; 532. Linear motion guide spring deformation part; 6. Second vertical guide spring; 61. First connecting structure; 62. Second connecting structure; 71. Rotating base; 72. Rotating shaft; 81. First vertical measuring device; 811. First measuring decoupling mechanism; 812. Vertical measuring device base; 813. Scale mounting seat; 814. Grating ruler; 815. Reading head; 82. Second vertical measuring device; 821. Capacitive sensor fabrication; 822. Capacitive sensor; 823. Capacitive sensing element; 9. Gravity compensation device; 10. Base; 11. Cover. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments in this specification, the embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the content described below are some examples or embodiments of this specification. For those skilled in the art, without creative effort, the technical solutions or means disclosed in this specification can be applied to other scenarios based on this technical content.

[0043] It should be understood that the terms "system," "device," "equipment," "part" and / or "component," "unit" and / or "module" used in this specification are a method of distinguishing different components, elements, parts, sections, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other words can achieve the same purpose, they may be replaced by other expressions.

[0044] Unless otherwise specified, the technical terms used to describe components, elements, etc. in this specification are not singular but may include plural. Generally speaking, terms such as "comprising" or "including" only indicate that explicitly identified steps, elements, or components are included, and these steps, elements, and components do not constitute an exclusive list, as the described method or apparatus may also include other steps or components.

[0045] In the description of this specification, it should be understood that the directional descriptions, such as up, down, front, back, left, and right, indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These descriptions are for the convenience of describing this application and for simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. In the description of this specification, unless otherwise expressly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. Those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this specification in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0046] A micro-stage can carry materials and achieve their displacement and / or rotation. Micro-stages can be applied in precision machining, inspection, and other fields. In some embodiments, the micro-stage can carry materials to move and / or rotate relative to a reference plane in a vertical direction. In some embodiments, the micro-stage can also carry materials to rotate around a first or second direction within the reference plane. Taking an xyz coordinate system as an example, the reference plane can be the xy plane, where the x-axis and y-axis directions can intersect or even be perpendicular, and the vertical direction of the reference plane can be the z-axis direction. In some embodiments, the micro-stage can carry materials to move along the z-axis direction, or rotate around the z-axis direction (or Rz direction), or rotate around the x-axis direction (or Rx direction) or a direction parallel to the x-axis direction, or around the y-axis direction (or Ry direction) or a direction parallel to the y-axis direction.

[0047] In some embodiments, the micro-motion stage may include three or more vertical drive devices, wherein the axes of at least three of the vertical drive devices are not coplanar. In some embodiments, the vertical drive devices may be linear drive devices, used to drive a portion of the micro-motion stage to displace along or parallel to the z-axis. Taking three vertical drive devices as an example, the three vertical drive devices rise or fall synchronously, thereby realizing the displacement of the material along the z-axis. Further, the three vertical drive devices rise or fall asynchronously, which can realize the rotation of the material in the Rx and / or Ry directions. In some embodiments, the micro-motion stage may also include a rotation module for realizing the rotation of the material in the Rz direction.

[0048] In some related embodiments, the vertical drive of the micro-stage employs a single motor direct drive scheme, which can achieve displacement in the z-axis direction and rotation in the Rz-axis direction, but cannot perform precise positioning in the Rx and Ry directions. Furthermore, its stroke and accuracy both depend on a single motor, resulting in low precision. In some related cases, choosing a motor with a large stroke may lead to lower precision, while choosing a motor with high precision may lead to a smaller stroke.

[0049] In other related embodiments, the vertical drive of the micro-motion stage employs a three-cam mechanism, decoupling the motion of the platform surface through a triangular spring parallel to the reference plane. This enables displacement in the z-axis direction and rotation in the Rx and Ry directions. However, friction exists between the cam mechanism and the platform surface, leading to wear issues during long-term operation and requiring regular maintenance. The load acts directly on the cams, causing significant heat generation in the cam-driving motor, affecting vertical performance. The stroke is limited by the vertical deformation space of the triangular spring, preventing large-stroke vertical motion. Therefore, it can only achieve material posture adjustment and cannot perform material transfer.

[0050] Based on this, one or more embodiments of this specification provide a micro-motion stage, whose vertical drive device achieves large-stroke, high-precision displacement positioning in the z-axis direction and rotational positioning in the Rx and Ry directions through the combination of two linear drive devices with different precisions. Each vertical drive device is decoupled through an independent drive decoupling mechanism to avoid being restricted by the vertical deformation or torsional deformation of a single spring, thereby achieving large-stroke motion and realizing the posture adjustment and material transfer of materials.

[0051] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a micro-motion stage according to some embodiments of this specification, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a micro-motion stage according to some embodiments of this specification. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, in some embodiments, the micro-motion stage may include a top plate 1 and at least three vertical drive devices 3 that drive a portion of the top plate 1 to move in a vertical direction (e.g., the z-axis direction) of a reference plane. In some embodiments, the at least three vertical drive devices 3 include three vertical drive devices 3 whose axes are not coplanar. Exemplarily, the lower surface of the top plate 1 may include a first position, a second position, and a third position that are not collinear, and the three vertical drive devices 3 are respectively connected to the first position, the second position, and the third position. In some embodiments, the three vertical drive devices 3 may move synchronously or asynchronously to achieve displacement of the component in the z-axis direction or rotation in the Rx / Ry direction. In some embodiments, the component may be the top plate 1, or other structures connected to the top plate 1, or material directly or indirectly carried, adsorbed, or aerated on the top plate 1. In some embodiments, the three vertical drive devices 3 are arranged at 120° equal angles. In some embodiments, more vertical drive devices 3 may be provided.

[0052] It should be noted that in one or more embodiments of this specification, the z-axis direction may be perpendicular to the x-axis and y-axis directions, the x-axis and y-axis directions may lie in the xy plane, and the x-axis and y-axis directions may be perpendicular or not. It should also be noted that in one or more embodiments of this specification, the setting of the x-axis and y-axis directions is mainly used to decompose complex planar rotational or pitch changes into easily understandable combinations of simple rotations on two axes, and is not intended to limit the plane to rotating around the x-axis and y-axis directions.

[0053] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, in some embodiments, the vertical drive device 3 may include: a first linear drive mechanism 31 and a second linear drive mechanism 32 connected to the first drive portion 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31. The second drive portion 321 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 is connected to the top plate 1 via a drive decoupling mechanism 4. In some embodiments, each vertical drive device 3 is provided with an independent drive decoupling mechanism 4, so that each vertical drive device 3 can operate independently and decouple from each other, avoiding mutual interference caused by connecting to the same decoupling spring. In some embodiments, decoupling in this specification refers to transforming or disassembling the complex motion of a component, such as the top plate 1, into a single motion in two or more directions. It should be noted that the drive decoupling mechanism 4 corresponding to each vertical drive device 3 may have an independent decoupling direction, that is, the two or more decoupling directions of each drive decoupling mechanism 4 can be arbitrarily set and do not necessarily have to be parallel to the x-axis or y-axis, and the decoupling directions of different drive decoupling mechanisms 4 may be the same or different.

[0054] In some embodiments, the first linear drive device 31 may be a piezoelectric microstepping motor. In other embodiments, the first linear drive device 31 may be a plate voice coil motor, a barrel voice coil motor, or a barrel dual-coil voice coil motor. The first linear drive device 31 is used to provide driving force in the CoarseZ (i.e., coarse adjustment in the z-axis direction) / Rx / Ry directions.

[0055] In some embodiments, the second linear drive device 32 may be a piezoelectric actuator. The second linear drive device 32 is used to provide driving force in the FineZ (i.e., fine-tuning in the z-axis direction) / Rx / Ry directions.

[0056] In some embodiments, the driving accuracy of the second linear drive mechanism 32 is higher than that of the first linear drive mechanism 31. For example, the first linear drive mechanism 31 may have a larger stroke and lower accuracy, while the second linear drive mechanism 32 may have higher accuracy and smaller stroke. The combination of the first linear drive mechanism 31 and the second linear drive mechanism 32 can achieve a large stroke and high accuracy for the entire vertical drive device 3.

[0057] In some embodiments, the combination of three or more vertical drive devices 3, a large-stroke first linear drive mechanism 31, and a high-precision second linear drive mechanism 32 can achieve precise positioning of the material in the Rx / Ry direction. In some embodiments, the pre-alignment of the material in z / Rx / Ry is achieved by three or more first linear drive mechanisms 31, and the precise positioning and attitude adjustment of the material in z / Rx / Ry are achieved by three or more second linear drive mechanisms 32.

[0058] In one or more embodiments of this specification, the vertical drive device 3 further includes a drive device base 33, which is used to accommodate and mount the first linear drive mechanism 31 and the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, the drive device base 33 may include a drive device base bottom plate 331 and two drive device base side plates 332 disposed on the drive device base bottom plate 331, with an accommodating space between the two drive device base side plates 332 for accommodating the first linear drive mechanism 31 and the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, the drive device base 33 may further include a drive device base back plate 333 disposed on the drive device base bottom plate 331, with both sides of the drive device base back plate 333 respectively connected to the two drive device base side plates 332. In some embodiments, the first linear drive mechanism 31 may be mounted on the drive device base bottom plate 331. In some embodiments, there is a gap between the first linear drive mechanism 31 and the drive device base back plate 333, and the second linear drive mechanism 32 is disposed between the first linear drive mechanism 31 and the drive device base back plate 333. In some embodiments, the drive device base 33 may be fixed on the micro stage base of the micro stage.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first housing 312 of the first linear drive mechanism 31 is connected to the drive device base 33 (e.g., the drive device base plate 331), and the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 is connected to the first drive part 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31. The first linear drive mechanism 31 drives the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 to move in the z-axis direction. In some embodiments, a portion of the first housing 312 is located on one side of a portion of the second housing 322. In some embodiments, the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 is embedded in the drive device base 33. In some embodiments, a portion of the first housing 312 and a portion of the second housing 322 are staggered in the z-axis direction. The overlap of the first housing 312 and the second housing 322 in the z-axis direction reduces the overall height of the vertical drive device 3 in the z-axis direction, thereby reducing the overall height of the motion device and solving the problem of the excessively large micro-stage size caused by the direct superposition of the coarse-precision z-axis drive motor and the high-precision z-axis drive motor in the z-axis direction.

[0060] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, in some embodiments, the second housing 322 includes an upward-opening second accommodating space for accommodating a portion of the second drive mechanism 31, and a connecting plate 3221 extending to one side from the opening of the second accommodating space. The first drive portion 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31 is connected to the connecting plate 3221, and the second drive portion 321 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 moves in the vertical direction. In some embodiments, the connecting plate 3221 is arranged parallel to the base plate 331 of the drive device. In some embodiments, the connecting plate 3221 is located above the first housing 312 of the first linear drive mechanism 31. By arranging the connecting plate 3221 extending in the lateral direction, the second housing 322 can be arranged on one side of the first housing 312, thereby achieving an interleaving of the two in the z-axis direction. In some embodiments, referring to Figure 4, the second housing 322 is L-shaped and partially surrounds the upper side of the first housing 312 to minimize its space occupation and achieve overall miniaturization of the vertical drive device 3.

[0061] In one or more embodiments of this specification, the vertical drive device 3 further includes a guide device 5, which is mounted on the side of the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, there may be two guide devices 5, which are respectively disposed on both sides of the second housing 322. In some embodiments, the two guide devices 5 may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the second housing 322. In some embodiments, the guide device 5 may be connected to the drive device base side plate 332 or the drive device base back plate 333. In some embodiments, the guide device 5 may be used to guide the first drive portion 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31 or the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, the first drive part 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31 drives the second linear drive mechanism 32 to move in the z-axis direction via the connecting plate 3221. Due to possible deformation of the connecting plate 3221, it may cause vibration of the second housing 322 or deflection relative to the connecting plate 3221, resulting in an angle between the working direction of the second drive part 321 in the second housing 322 and the z-axis direction. The guide device 5 restricts the second housing 322 from moving in the z-axis direction, thereby avoiding the vibration or deflection.

[0062] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, in some embodiments, the guide device 5 may include a fixed guide rail 51 and a movable guide rail 52 that are matched with each other, both of which are arranged along the z-axis direction. In some embodiments, the fixed guide rail 51 is connected to the drive device base 33 (e.g., the drive device base side plate 332 or the drive device base back plate 333), and the movable guide rail 52 is connected to the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, the guide device 5 may be a cross roller guide rail. In some embodiments, there may be two cross roller guide rails, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32.

[0063] Referring to Figures 10 to 12, in some embodiments, the guiding device 5 may include a linear motion guide spring 53, one end of which is connected to the drive device base 33 (e.g., drive device base side plate 332), and the other end of which is connected to the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32. Further, in some embodiments, the guiding device 5 may include two sets of linear motion guide springs 53, which are respectively disposed on both sides of the second housing 322 of the second linear drive 32. In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, each set of linear motion guide springs 53 may include two linear motion guide springs 53, which are arranged sequentially in the z-axis direction. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 12, each set of linear motion guide springs 53 may include one linear motion guide spring 53. In other embodiments, each set of linear motion guide springs 53 may also include two or more linear motion guide springs 53.

[0064] In some embodiments, the linear motion guide spring 53 may include linear motion guide spring fixing portions 531 located on both sides thereon, and linear motion guide spring deforming portions 532 connecting the two linear motion guide spring fixing portions 531. The two linear motion guide spring fixing portions 531 are respectively connected to the drive device base 33 (e.g., drive device base side plate 332) and the second housing 322 of the second linear drive 32. The linear motion guide spring deforming portions 532 can deform with the movement of the second housing 322 relative to the drive device base 33. Since the linear motion guide springs 53 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the second housing 322, they can guide the second housing 322 to move in the z-axis direction. In some embodiments, the thickness of the linear motion guide spring fixing portions 531 is greater than the thickness of the linear motion guide spring deforming portions 532, so that the linear motion guide spring fixing portions 531 are easy to fix and the linear motion guide spring deforming portions 532 are easy to deform. In some embodiments, the linear motion guide spring 53 can be integrally formed by cutting or other methods.

[0065] In one or more embodiments of this specification, referring to Figures 5 to 9, the vertical drive device 3 further includes: a spring mounting base 34 connected to the drive device base 33 and a first vertical guide spring 35. A portion of the first vertical guide spring 35 is connected to the spring mounting base 34, and another portion of the first vertical guide spring 35 is connected to the top plate 1. The first vertical guide spring 35 is used to guide the movement of the top plate 1 relative to the spring mounting base 34 (or relative to the drive device base 33) in the CoarseZ / Rx / Ry directions. In some embodiments, relative to the aforementioned cam mechanism, the arrangement of the first vertical guide spring 35 can avoid wear caused by friction between the vertical drive device 3 and the top plate 1. In some embodiments, the two sides of the first vertical guide spring 35 are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane containing the movement direction of the first drive portion 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31. In some embodiments, the two sides of the first vertical guide spring 35 protrude from the two sides of the spring mounting base 34 to increase the area of ​​the first vertical guide spring 35, thereby allowing the first vertical guide spring 35 to undergo greater deformation.

[0066] Referring to Figure 4, a spring mounting base 34 is shown in some embodiments. The spring mounting base 34 can be a multi-stage stepped structure, including at least a bottom step 341 connected to the drive device base 33 and a top step 342 away from the drive device base 33. The size of the bottom step 341 is larger than the size of the top step 342. In some embodiments, the spring mounting base 34 can be a two-stage stepped structure as shown in Figure 5. In other embodiments, the spring mounting base 34 can also be a multi-stage stepped mechanism, for example, the spring mounting base 34 further includes a plurality of intermediate steps disposed between the bottom step 341 and the top step 342. In these other embodiments, the size of the plurality of intermediate steps can decrease progressively. In some embodiments, deformation spaces are formed on both sides of the top step 342 in the multi-stage stepped structure of the spring mounting base, which can avoid deformation on both sides of the first vertical guide spring 35.

[0067] In some embodiments, continuing to refer to FIG5, a clearance groove is also formed in the middle of the lower surface of the multi-step spring mounting base 34. The connecting plate 3221 of the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 can enter the clearance groove when driven upward, thereby allowing the first linear drive mechanism 31 to drive the second linear drive mechanism 32 to perform a larger displacement in the z-axis direction. At the same time, the clearance groove also saves space in the z-axis direction.

[0068] Referring to Figures 4-6, a first vertical guide spring 35 is shown in some embodiments. The first vertical guide spring 35 may include a first region 351 connected to the top step 342 of the spring mounting base 34, a second region 352 connected to the top plate 1 and deformable relative to the first region 351, and a third region 353 through which the drive decoupling mechanism 4 passes.

[0069] In the embodiment shown in Figures 5-6, as previously described, the two sides of the first vertical guide spring 35 are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane (e.g., the plane shown by the dashed line in Figure 6) in which the movement direction of the first driving part 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31 is located. Specifically, it may include a first region 351, a second region 352, and a third region 353 symmetrically arranged with respect to the vertical plane (e.g., the left and right sides of the plane shown by the dashed line in Figure 6).

[0070] In some embodiments, the first vertical guide spring 35 has a sheet-like or plate-like structure. In some embodiments, the first vertical guide spring 35 has a through hole in its center for the drive decoupling mechanism 4 to pass through, i.e., a third region 353. In some embodiments, the first vertical guide spring 35 has two parallel elongated through slots. In some embodiments, two second regions 352 are formed between the two through slots, and the two second regions 352 are located on the left and right sides of the third region 353, respectively. In some embodiments, an annular first region 351 is formed around the two through slots, and the annular first region 351 surrounds the second region 352 and the third region 353.

[0071] In some embodiments, the second region 352 of the first vertical guide spring 35 is fixedly connected to the top plate 1 near the third region 353. In some embodiments, the two second regions 352 of the first vertical guide spring 35 can bend upward in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6 as the top plate 1 moves upward, and guide the top plate 1 by elastic force. Further, in some embodiments, the first region 351 of the first vertical guide spring 35 is fixedly connected to the spring mounting base 34 near the third region 353. In some embodiments, due to the bending of the second region 352, the left and right ends of the first region 351 may deform downward and enter the deformation space formed on both sides of the top step 342.

[0072] Referring to Figure 7, a spring mounting base 34 is shown in some other embodiments. The spring mounting base 34 may include a mounting base base 343 and spring fixing portions 344 disposed on both sides of the mounting base base 343 and protruding from the mounting base base 343 in the vertical direction. In some embodiments, the spring mounting base 34 is U-shaped, and a deformation space is formed in the middle of the spring mounting base 34, which can avoid deformation of the middle part of the first vertical guide spring 35.

[0073] Referring to Figures 7 and 8, a first vertical guide spring 35 is shown in some embodiments. The first vertical guide spring 35 may include a moving part 354 connected to the top plate 1 and two guide parts 355 respectively connected to both sides of the moving part 354. In some embodiments, the moving part 354 has a through hole in the middle for the drive decoupling mechanism 4 to pass through. In some embodiments, the guide part 355 is L-shaped and includes a first guide part extending to one side of the moving part 354 and a second guide part extending in the vertical direction connected to the first guide part. The second guide part is directly or indirectly connected to the spring fixing part 344, and the thickness of the moving part 354 is greater than the thickness of the guide part 355.

[0074] In the embodiment shown in Figures 7-8, as previously described, the two sides of the first vertical guide spring 35 are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane containing the direction of movement of the first drive portion 311 of the first linear drive mechanism 31. For example, the two guide portions 355 of the vertical guide spring 35 may be symmetrically arranged with respect to the vertical plane containing the center of the mover portion 354.

[0075] In some embodiments, the upper surface of the moving part 354 of the first vertical guide spring 35 is fixedly connected to the top plate 1. In some embodiments, the moving part 354 can move up or down with the upward or downward movement of the top plate 1, and guide the top plate 1 by the elastic force provided by the guide part 355. Further, in some embodiments, one end of the guide part 355 of the first vertical guide spring 35 away from the moving part 354 (e.g., the side of the second guide part extending in the vertical direction) is fixedly connected to the spring fixing part 344 of the spring mounting base 34 (e.g., directly fixedly connected, or fixedly connected by a connecting structure). In some embodiments, the moving part 354 and a portion of the guide part 355 may enter the deformation space formed in the middle of the spring mounting base 34 due to deformation.

[0076] In some embodiments, the first vertical guide spring 35 can be an integral structure, and the mover portion 354 and the guide portion 355 can be integrally formed by cutting.

[0077] Referring to Figure 9, a first vertical guide spring 35 is shown in some embodiments. The first vertical guide spring 35 may include a moving part 354 connected to the top plate 1 and two guide parts 355 respectively connected to both sides of the moving part 354. In some embodiments, the moving part 354 has a through hole in the middle for the drive decoupling mechanism 4 to pass through.

[0078] In the embodiment shown in FIG9, the guide portion 355 is L-shaped and includes a first guide portion extending to one side of the automatic sub-part 354 and a second guide portion extending in the vertical direction connected to the first guide portion. The second guide portion is directly or indirectly connected to the spring fixing portion 344 (e.g., directly fixed connection or fixed connection through a connection structure). The thickness of the moving part 354 is greater than the thickness of the guide portion 355.

[0079] In some embodiments, the first vertical guide spring 35 can be a split structure, and the mover part 354 and the guide part 355 can be formed separately and fixedly connected by welding, bolts or other means, thereby reducing manufacturing difficulty and cost.

[0080] In one or more embodiments of this specification, referring to Figures 13-15, the vertical drive device 3 further includes a second vertical guide spring 6. The second vertical guide spring 6 is disposed between the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 and the drive decoupling mechanism 4. The second vertical guide spring 6 is used to guide the movement of the drive decoupling mechanism 4 relative to the second housing 322 in the FineZ / Rx / Ry directions. In some embodiments, the second vertical guide spring 6 and the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32 can be an integral structure or a separate structure. In some embodiments, the arrangement of the second vertical guide spring 6 and its cooperation with the first vertical guide spring 35 achieve frictionless and frictionless vibration in the Rx / Ry directions, thereby achieving more precise positioning. In some embodiments, the number of second vertical guide springs 6 can be two. The two second vertical guide springs 6 are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane containing the movement direction of the second drive part 321 of the second linear drive mechanism 32, so that their two sides have a relatively balanced force relationship.

[0081] In some embodiments, the vertical drive device 3 further includes a second vertical guide spring device, which may include a first connecting structure 61, a second vertical guide spring 6, and a second connecting structure 62 connected sequentially from bottom to top. In some embodiments, the first connecting structure 61 is fixedly connected to the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, the second connecting structure 62 is fixedly connected to the drive decoupling mechanism 4. In some embodiments, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 further includes a drive decoupling mechanism connecting portion adapted to the shape of the second connecting structure 62.

[0082] In other embodiments, the second vertical guide spring device may include a first connecting structure 61 and a second vertical guide spring 62 connected sequentially from bottom to top. The first connecting structure 61 is fixedly connected to the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32, while the second vertical guide spring 62 can be directly fixedly connected to the drive decoupling mechanism 4. In some embodiments, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 further includes a drive decoupling mechanism connection portion adapted to the shape of the second vertical guide spring 6.

[0083] Referring to Figure 13, in some embodiments, the first connecting structure 61 includes a horizontal portion and a vertical portion of the first connecting structure that are interconnected. The horizontal portion of the first connecting structure is fixedly connected to the second housing 322, and the vertical portion extends in the vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the second vertical guide spring 6. In some embodiments, the second connecting structure 62 includes a vertical portion of the second connecting structure, which connects the second vertical guide spring 6 and the drive decoupling mechanism 4. In this embodiment, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 13, the second vertical guide spring 6 is in the shape of an "I" and is guided by the elastic deformation (e.g., bending, twisting, and / or torsion) of the second vertical guide spring 6.

[0084] Referring to Figure 14, in some embodiments, the first connecting structure 61 includes a horizontal portion that is fixedly connected to the second housing 322. In this embodiment, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 14, the vertical guide spring 6 is L-shaped and is guided by the elastic deformation (e.g., bending, twisting, and / or torsion) of the vertical guide spring 6. In some embodiments, the lower end of the vertical guide spring 6 is fixedly connected to the first connecting structure 61, and the horizontal end of the vertical guide spring 6 is fixedly connected to the drive decoupling mechanism 4. In this embodiment, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 has a fixing groove (i.e., the drive decoupling mechanism connection portion) corresponding to the vertical guide spring 6 on its side, and the horizontal end of the vertical guide spring 6 extends into the fixing groove and is fixed. In this embodiment, there may be a gap between the inner wall of the fixing groove and the horizontal end of the vertical guide spring 6 to allow its deformation. In these other embodiments, compared to the straight structure, the L-shaped vertical guide spring 6 can deform in two directions, thus having greater flexibility.

[0085] Referring to Figure 15, in some embodiments, the first connecting structure 61 includes a horizontal portion and a vertical portion of the first connecting structure that are interconnected. The horizontal portion of the first connecting structure is fixedly connected to the second housing 322, and the vertical portion extends in the vertical direction and is fixedly connected to the second vertical guide spring 6. In some embodiments, the second connecting structure 62 includes a vertical portion of the second connecting structure, which connects the second vertical guide spring 6 and the drive decoupling mechanism 4. In this embodiment, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 15, the vertical guide spring 6 is C-shaped and is guided by the elastic deformation (e.g., bending, twisting, and / or torsion) of the vertical guide spring 6. In these other embodiments, compared to an I-shaped structure, the C-shaped vertical guide spring 6 can deform in two directions; compared to an L-shaped structure, the C-shaped vertical guide spring 6 has two deformable horizontal portions, thus exhibiting greater flexibility than the L-shaped structure.

[0086] In one or more embodiments of this specification, the structure of the second vertical guide spring 6 and the structure of the drive decoupling mechanism connection portion of the corresponding drive decoupling mechanism 4 can be selected according to actual needs (e.g., the need for elastic deformation or flexibility).

[0087] It should be noted that the aforementioned vertical refers to the direction along or approximately along the z-axis, and the aforementioned horizontal refers to the location within or approximately within the xy-plane. It is not strictly required that they have a horizontal or vertical relationship.

[0088] In one or more embodiments of this specification, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 is used to achieve decoupling in a third direction and / or a fourth direction, wherein the third direction is parallel to a first direction in the reference plane, and the fourth direction is parallel to a second direction in the reference plane that intersects with the first direction. In other embodiments, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 may also be used to achieve decoupling in one or two other directions, or even more directions.

[0089] In one or more embodiments of this specification, referring to Figures 11-15, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 may include: a first decoupling fixing block 43 fixedly connected to the second drive part 321 of the second linear drive mechanism 32; a second decoupling fixing block 44 fixedly connected to the top plate 1; an intermediate decoupling fixing block 45 disposed between the first decoupling fixing block 43 and the second decoupling fixing block 44; a first decoupling spring 41 connecting the first decoupling fixing block 43 and the intermediate decoupling fixing block 45; and a second decoupling spring 42 connecting the second decoupling fixing block 44 and the intermediate decoupling fixing block 45, wherein the first decoupling spring 41 and the second decoupling spring 42 are arranged crosswise. In some embodiments, a slot may be formed on one of the first decoupling spring 41 and the second decoupling spring 42 for the other to pass through.

[0090] In some embodiments, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 may also include a greater number of intermediate decoupling fixing blocks 45, and provide a greater number of decoupling springs in the same or different directions, such as third decoupling springs, fourth decoupling springs, etc., to adapt to more complex motion requirements, make the movement of the top plate 1 smoother, and make the decoupling response faster.

[0091] In some embodiments, the drive decoupling mechanism 4 is used to decouple the movement of the top plate 1 into the deformation of the first decoupling spring 41 and / or the second decoupling spring 42. The drive decoupling mechanism 4 realizes a flexible or elastic connection between the top plate 1 and the vertical drive device 3, so that the rotational or pitch changes of the top plate 1 do not affect the drive of the vertical drive device 3 in the z-axis direction. Compared with the aforementioned triangular spring, the multiple drive decoupling mechanisms 4 are independent of each other, and their decoupling is not affected by the deformation at other positions. Compared with the aforementioned triangular spring, the first decoupling spring 41 and the second decoupling spring 42 of the drive decoupling mechanism 4 independently provide deformation in two directions, and the deformation is the bending of a single spring in a single direction, rather than using the same spring to provide deformation in two directions in different ways (for example, the triangular spring provides deformation in the first direction by bending and then provides deformation in the second direction by twisting). Therefore, the decoupling ability in the two directions is consistent, and the movement in the first direction is not easier than the movement in the other direction due to the different decoupling mechanisms in the two directions.

[0092] In one or more embodiments of this specification, referring to Figures 16 and 17, the micro-motion stage further includes: one or more first vertical measuring devices 81, which are connected to the top plate 1 via a first measuring decoupling mechanism 811, and are used to measure the position and displacement of the top plate 1. In some embodiments, the number of vertical measuring devices 81 may be three, and the three vertical measuring devices 81 are arranged at 120° equal angles. In some embodiments, each vertical drive device 3 is correspondingly arranged with one vertical measuring device 81.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first vertical measuring device 81 includes: a vertical measuring device base 812, a tape mount 813 slidably connected to the vertical measuring device base 812, a grating ruler 814 disposed on the tape mount 813, and a reading head 815 disposed within the vertical measuring device base 812 and matching the grating ruler 814. Position feedback signals are provided through the grating ruler 814 and the reading head 815.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first vertical measuring device 81 further includes a guide rail slider assembly for guiding the tape mount 813 and the grating ruler 814 thereon, wherein the guide rail in the guide rail slider assembly can be fixedly connected to the vertical measuring device base 812, and the slider in the guide rail slider assembly can be fixedly connected to the tape mount 813.

[0095] In some embodiments, similar to the drive decoupling mechanism 4, the first measurement decoupling mechanism 811 is used to decouple in the Rx / Ry direction when the top plate 1 moves. In some embodiments, the first measurement decoupling mechanism 811 may include a lower first measurement decoupling fixing block, an intermediate measurement decoupling fixing block, and a second measurement decoupling fixing block arranged sequentially from bottom to top, wherein the first measurement decoupling fixing block may be provided by the tape mounting seat 813. In some embodiments, the first measurement decoupling mechanism 811 also includes a first measurement decoupling spring and a second measurement decoupling spring similar to those of the drive decoupling mechanism 4. The structure of the first measurement decoupling mechanism 811 can refer to the structure of the drive decoupling mechanism 4, and will not be described again here.

[0096] In some embodiments, the first vertical measuring device 81 may also be a capacitive sensor or an eddy current sensor.

[0097] In some embodiments, the first vertical measuring device 81 directly measures the displacement of the top plate 1, and adjusts the first linear drive device 31 and the second linear drive device 32 according to the measurement data of the first vertical measuring device 81, thereby controlling the overall drive of the vertical drive device 3 on the top plate 1 to achieve a large vertical closed loop.

[0098] In one or more embodiments of this specification, the micro-motion stage further includes: a number of second vertical measuring devices 82 corresponding to the number of first vertical measuring devices 81, the second vertical measuring devices 82 being used to measure the displacement of the top plate 1 relative to the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, when the accuracy of the first vertical measuring device 81 is sufficient, a scheme in which the first vertical measuring device 81 performs independent measurement can be adopted. In other embodiments, when the accuracy of the first vertical measuring device 81 is insufficient, a scheme in which the less accurate first vertical measuring device 81 and the more accurate second vertical measuring device 82 are used in combination for measurement can be adopted.

[0099] In some embodiments, the second vertical measuring device 82 may be fixedly connected to the second housing 322 of the second linear drive mechanism 32. In some embodiments, the second vertical measuring device 82 may be specifically fixedly connected to the connecting plate 3221.

[0100] In some embodiments, referring to FIG18, the second vertical measuring device 82 may include a capacitance sensor and a capacitance sensing element. In some embodiments, the second vertical measuring device 82 may include a capacitance sensor support 821 disposed on the second housing 322 (e.g., connecting plate 3221) of the second linear drive mechanism 32, the capacitance sensor 822 being disposed on the capacitance sensor support 821, and the capacitance sensing element 823 being fixedly connected to the top plate 1.

[0101] In the scheme of using a low-precision first vertical measuring device 81 and a high-precision second vertical measuring device 82 for measurement, the first vertical measuring device 81 is used to measure the first displacement of the top plate 1 as a whole, and the second vertical measuring device 82 is used to measure the second displacement of the second linear drive mechanism 32 with higher precision, so as to obtain the displacement to be implemented by the first linear drive mechanism 32 based on the difference between the first displacement and the second displacement.

[0102] In one or more embodiments of this specification, the micro-motion stage further includes one or more gravity compensation devices 9, which are connected to the top plate 1 and provide a force to the top plate 1 to at least compensate for the gravity of the top plate 1 and the platform 2. In some embodiments, such as when the first linear drive device 31 uses a piezoelectric microstepping motor and the second linear drive device 32 uses a piezoelectric brake, the load on the vertical drive device 3 can be reduced by the gravity compensation device 9, thereby reducing the load requirements on the first linear drive mechanism 31 and the second linear drive mechanism 32 of the vertical drive device 3 and avoiding affecting the vertical performance. In some embodiments, such as when the first linear drive device 31 or the second linear drive device 32 does not use a piezoelectric device, specifically, when the first linear drive device 31 uses a voice coil motor, the load on the vertical drive device 3 reduced by the gravity compensation device 9 can further reduce the heat generation of the voice coil motor, thereby avoiding the heat generation affecting the vertical performance. In some embodiments, the gravity compensation device 9 can compensate for the gravity of the vertical drive component to be driven by the vertical drive device 3 (e.g., top plate 1, other structures fixedly connected to the top plate 1, and / or materials directly or indirectly supported on the top plate 1), or simultaneously compensate for the gravity of the vertical drive component to be driven by the vertical drive device and the elastic reaction force generated by the deformation of various guide springs (e.g., the first vertical guide spring 35 and / or the second vertical guide spring 36) during the movement, thereby reducing the load on the vertical drive device 3 and improving the positioning accuracy of the high-precision second linear drive device 32.

[0103] In some embodiments, the gravity compensation device 9 may be a magnetic levitation compensation device. In other embodiments, the gravity compensation device 9 may also be an air levitation compensation device. In some embodiments, the number of vertical gravity compensation devices 9 may be three, and the three vertical gravity compensation devices 9 are arranged at 120° equal angles. In some embodiments, each vertical drive device 3 is correspondingly provided with one vertical gravity compensation device 9.

[0104] In one or more embodiments of this specification, referring to FIG2, the micro-motion stage further includes: a stage and a rotation module disposed on the top plate for driving the stage to rotate. In some embodiments, the rotation module includes: a rotation base 71 fixedly connected to the top plate 1, a rotation shaft 72 rotatably connected to the rotation base 71, a rotation drive mechanism for driving the rotation shaft 72 to rotate relative to the rotation base 71, and a rotation measuring device for measuring the rotation angle of the rotation shaft 72 relative to the rotation base 71.

[0105] In some embodiments, one of the stator and mover of the rotary drive mechanism is connected to the rotary base 71, and the other of the stator and mover of the rotary drive mechanism is connected to the rotary shaft 72. In some embodiments, the rotary measuring device may be a grating measuring device. In some embodiments, one of the grating ruler and the reading head is connected to the rotary base 71, and the other of the grating ruler and the reading head is connected to the rotary shaft 72.

[0106] In some embodiments, the rotary drive mechanism may be a voice coil arc motor or a torque motor, used to provide vertical rotary drive force.

[0107] In some embodiments, the upper surface of the rotating base 71 is flush with the upper surface of the top plate 1. In some embodiments, an annular groove may be provided on the top plate 1, and the outer edge of the rotating base 71 may extend outward to form an annular protrusion. The annular protrusion is mounted and fixed on the annular groove, thereby allowing the upper surfaces of the rotating base 71 and the top plate 1 to be flush.

[0108] In one or more embodiments of this specification, the micro-motion stage further includes a base 10 and a housing 11, wherein the vertical drive device 3, the vertical measuring device 81, and the gravity compensation device 9 are all mounted on the base 10, and the housing 11 is disposed between the base 10 and the top plate 1. In some embodiments, the vertical drive device 3, the vertical measuring device 81, and the gravity compensation device 9 are all embedded within the accommodating space formed by the base 10, the housing 11, and the top plate 1. Furthermore, the vertical measuring device 81 has a smaller vertical height due to the staggered arrangement of the first linear drive device 31 and the second linear drive device 32. The fact that the rotating base 71 is flush with the upper surface of the top plate 1 also reduces the vertical height. The overall structure of the micro-motion stage has a smaller vertical height and a higher degree of integration.

[0109] One or more embodiments of this specification also provide a motion system including the aforementioned micro-motion stage, used to drive the entire micro-motion stage to move on a working plane, for example, driving the entire micro-motion stage to move linearly along at least one direction on a working plane. In some embodiments, the motion system may include a second linear motion mechanism that drives the entire micro-motion stage to move along a second direction (e.g., the y-axis direction), and a first linear motion mechanism that drives the entire second linear motion mechanism to move along a first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction). In some embodiments, the first linear motion mechanism and the second linear motion mechanism are used to drive the entire micro-motion stage to displace in the x-axis direction or the y-axis direction of the working plane to adjust the macroscopic position of the micro-motion stage.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first linear motion mechanism and the second linear motion mechanism may be a guide rail slider mechanism. In other embodiments, the first linear motion mechanism and the second linear motion mechanism may be an air-bearing guide rail and an air-bearing guide sleeve supported on the air-bearing guide rail. For example, the first linear motion mechanism may include a first air-bearing guide rail disposed on a platform along the x-axis and a first air-bearing guide sleeve supported on the first air-bearing guide rail; the second linear motion mechanism may include a second air-bearing guide rail fixed to the first air-bearing guide sleeve along the y-axis and a second air-bearing guide sleeve supported on the second air-bearing guide rail, wherein the micro-motion stage is fixed to the second air-bearing guide sleeve.

[0111] The basic concepts have been described above. It is obvious that the detailed disclosure above is merely illustrative and does not constitute a limitation of this specification. Although not explicitly stated herein, various modifications, improvements, and corrections may be made to this specification by those skilled in the art. Such modifications, improvements, and corrections are taught in this specification and therefore remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein.

Claims

1. A micro-motion stage, characterized in that, include: A top plate, and at least three vertical drive devices that drive a portion of the top plate to move in a vertical direction within a reference plane; The at least three vertical drive devices include three vertical drive devices whose axes are not coplanar; The vertical drive device includes: a first linear drive mechanism and a second linear drive mechanism connected to a first drive part of the first linear drive mechanism, wherein the second drive part of the second linear drive mechanism is connected to the top plate through a drive decoupling mechanism; The driving accuracy of the second linear drive mechanism is higher than that of the first linear drive mechanism.

2. The micro-motion stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical drive device further includes: a drive device base; The first housing of the first linear drive mechanism is connected to the base of the drive device, and the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism is connected to the first drive part of the first linear drive mechanism; A portion of the first housing is located on one side of a portion of the second housing.

3. The micro-motion stage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second housing includes an upward-opening second accommodating space for accommodating a portion of the second drive mechanism and a connecting plate extending to one side from the opening of the second accommodating space. The first drive unit of the first linear drive mechanism is connected to the connecting plate; The second drive unit of the second linear drive mechanism moves along the vertical direction.

4. The micro-motion stage according to claim 2, characterized in that, The vertical drive device further includes a guide device, which is mounted on the side of the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism.

5. The micro-stage according to claim 4, characterized in that, The guiding device includes: a fixed guide rail and a movable guide rail that are matched with each other, the fixed guide rail being connected to the base of the driving device, and the movable guide rail being connected to the second housing of the second linear driving mechanism; Alternatively, the guiding device may include: a linear motion guide spring, one end of which is connected to the base of the driving device, and the other end of which is connected to the second housing of the second linear driving mechanism.

6. The micro-motion stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical drive device further includes: a drive device base, a spring mounting seat connected to the drive device base, and a first vertical guide spring. A portion of the first vertical guide spring is connected to the spring mounting base, and another portion of the first vertical guide spring is connected to the top plate; The two sides of the first vertical guide spring are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane containing the direction of movement of the first drive part of the first linear drive mechanism.

7. The micro-stage according to claim 6, characterized in that, The spring mounting base has a multi-step structure. The spring mounting base includes at least a bottom step connected to the base of the drive device and a top step away from the base of the drive device. The size of the bottom step is larger than the size of the top step. The vertical guide spring includes a first region connected to the top step of the spring mounting base, a second region connected to the top plate and capable of deforming relative to the first region, and a third region through which the drive decoupling mechanism passes. Alternatively, the spring mounting base includes a mounting base plate and spring fixing portions disposed on both sides of the mounting base plate and protruding vertically from the mounting base plate; the vertical guide spring includes a moving part connected to the top plate and two guide portions respectively connected to both sides of the moving part, wherein the drive decoupling mechanism passes through the moving part, the guide portions are L-shaped, the guide portions include a first guide portion extending from the moving part to one side and a second guide portion extending vertically connected to the first guide portion, the second guide portion being connected to the spring fixing portion, and the thickness of the moving part being greater than the thickness of the guide portion.

8. The micro-motion stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical drive device further includes: a second vertical guide spring; The second vertical guide spring is disposed between the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism and the drive decoupling mechanism; The two second vertical guide springs are symmetrically arranged with respect to a vertical plane containing the direction of motion of the second drive part of the second linear drive mechanism.

9. The micro-motion stage according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second vertical guide spring is in the shape of a straight line, an L-shape, or a C-shape.

10. The micro-motion stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive decoupling mechanism includes: a first decoupling fixing block fixedly connected to the second drive part of the second linear drive mechanism, a second decoupling fixing block fixedly connected to the top plate, an intermediate decoupling fixing block disposed between the first decoupling fixing block and the second decoupling fixing block, a first decoupling spring connecting the first decoupling fixing block and the intermediate decoupling fixing block, and a second decoupling spring connecting the second decoupling fixing block and the intermediate decoupling fixing block, wherein the first decoupling spring and the second decoupling spring are arranged crosswise; The drive decoupling mechanism is used to decouple the movement of the top plate into the deformation of the first decoupling spring and / or the second decoupling spring.

11. The micro-motion stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: One or more first vertical measuring devices, which are connected to the top plate via a first measuring decoupling mechanism, are used to measure the position and displacement of the top plate.

12. The micro-motion stage according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first vertical measuring device includes: a vertical measuring device base, a tape mounting base slidably connected to the vertical measuring device base, a grating ruler disposed on the tape mounting base, and a reading head disposed within the vertical measuring device base that matches the grating ruler.

13. The micro-stage according to claim 11, characterized in that, Also includes: A second vertical measuring device, corresponding in number to the first vertical measuring device, is used to measure the displacement of the top plate relative to the second housing of the second linear drive mechanism.

14. The micro-motion stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: One or more gravity compensation devices are connected to the top plate and provide the top plate with a force at least sufficient to compensate for the gravity of the top plate and the platform.

15. The micro-motion stage according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A platform and a rotating module disposed on the top plate for driving the platform to rotate; The rotation module includes: a rotation base fixedly connected to the top plate, a rotation shaft rotatably connected to the rotation base, a rotation drive mechanism for driving the rotation shaft to rotate relative to the rotation base, and a rotation measuring device for measuring the rotation angle of the rotation shaft relative to the rotation base.

16. The micro-stage according to claim 15, characterized in that, The upper surface of the rotating base is flush with the upper surface of the top plate.

17. A motion system, characterized in that, Includes the micro-stage as described in any one of claims 1 to 16.

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