Vacuum Stage Blocking Cover for Foreign Matter Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In charged particle beam apparatuses, the scattering of guide foreign matter from contact-type guide elements in a vacuum environment poses challenges due to increased kinetic energy and stray magnetic fields, leading to reduced throughput and contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A stage device with a guide rail, carriage, and rolling elements, equipped with a blocking cover that covers the normal direction of the guide surface to prevent foreign matter scattering, and a spacer to manage the movement of the table, reducing the reach height of guide foreign matter and minimizing its attachment to the target.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the moving speed of the table increases to improve throughput, then productivity increases, but the kinetic energy of guide foreign matter increases causing it to reach higher and attach to the sample
Solution Approach 1:
A magnetic field is introduced as an intermediary force to counteract the kinetic energy of guide foreign matter. The magnetic field generates magnetic force that acts on the ferromagnetic particles, preventing them from reaching the sample even when the table moves at high speed. This resolves the contradiction by adding a new physical mechanism that independently controls foreign matter behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on mechanical speed control with a magnetic field-based control system. Instead of reducing table speed to prevent foreign matter attachment, a magnetic field is used to actively manage and neutralize the motion of guide foreign matter, allowing high-speed operation while maintaining sample cleanliness.
2Manufacturing precision
If a contact type guide element is used to maintain position accuracy, then manufacturing precision is improved, but guide foreign matter is scattered from the guide
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of guide foreign matter into a beneficial one by using ferromagnetic materials for both the guide elements and the foreign matter. The magnetic field that would normally be problematic now serves to control and retrieve the foreign matter, transforming it from a contamination source into a manageable component that can be actively controlled and removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter of the guide elements from non-magnetic to ferromagnetic materials. This parameter change allows the guide foreign matter to become magnetically responsive, enabling active control through magnetic fields and facilitating retrieval systems that prevent sample contamination while maintaining contact-type guide precision.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a non-contact floating type configuration is adopted to eliminate guide foreign matter, then foreign matter scattering is prevented, but device complexity increases due to requiring sensors or actuators for six axes
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of implementing a complete non-contact floating type configuration for all six axes, the patent applies magnetic field control selectively to the guide elements where foreign matter generation occurs. This partial application of the non-contact principle achieves the primary goal of eliminating guide foreign matter while avoiding the excessive complexity of full six-axis floating configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the magnetic field control function from the mechanical guide structure, separating the foreign matter control mechanism from the positioning mechanism. This allows the guide elements to maintain their simple contact-type structure for precision positioning while the magnetic field independently handles foreign matter prevention, avoiding the need for complex sensors and actuators.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively suppresses the attachment of guide foreign matter to the target in a vacuum environment, enhancing throughput and maintaining cleanliness, while being cost-effective and minimizing rigidity loss.
Implementation Method 1
a blocking portion that is provided to cover a normal direction of a guide surface of the guide rail and blocks foreign matter scattered from the guide rail, the carriage, or the rolling elements
Implementation Method 2
rolling elements that come into contact with the guide rail and the carriage and rotate along with the movement of the carriage
Data Source
AI summary
A stage device is disposed in a vacuum environment and moves a target placed on the stage device, the stage device including: a guide rail that is laid on a base; a carriage that moves along the guide rail; rolling elements that come into contact with the guide rail and the carriage and rotate along with the movement of the carriage; a table that is connected to a part of the carriage and moves along with the carriage; and a blocking cover that is provided to cover a normal direction of a guide surface of the guide rail and blocks foreign matter scattered from the guide rail, the carriage, or the rolling elements.