• Liberty International India

Planar Air-Bearing Platform

Aerotech has developed the PlanarHDX, the most advanced commercially available Planar Air-Bearing Platform for semiconductor manufacturing and advanced test and inspection. The PlanarHDX was designed using an FEA-optimised silicon carbide structure and optimised air-bearing compensation techniques to provide the highest possible dynamic performance while maintaining unparalleled geometric characteristics and positioning accuracy. PlanarHDX structural elements were designed using an advanced silicon carbide ceramic with a specific stiffness (elastic modulus/density) five times higher than aluminium and a coefficient of thermal expansion approximately five times lower. The resulting material and FEA-optimised structure enable 1.5 m/s scan speeds and 5 g peak acceleration with a payload of up to 20 kg for extremely high throughput processing – without sacrificing dynamic tracking, geometric performance, or thermal stability. Other design enhancements include a new air-bearing compensation strategy that increases stiffness and load capacity for demanding high-dynamic applications. Using proven air-on-air preloading in critical bearing elements improves turnaround and settling times over vacuum-preloaded designs. A proprietary reaction-mass design dramatically reduces stage-induced forces in the step-axis that are transferred to the isolation system or customer’s structure (optics, sensors, etc.). By minimizing these dynamic forces, move-and-settle time is reduced and process throughput is increased. The PlanarHDX is available with passive or active isolation systems. Additional axes such as Z-tip-tilt or Z-theta designs as well as custom wafer load/unload mechanisms and wafer chucks are available. Machine weldments, complex granite base structures, or enclosures can also be provided. Feedback options include low-expansion glass scale encoders or interferometer.