ETEL, part of HEIDENHAIN and a supplier of motion-control components and complete motion platforms, has introduced the METIS HP, a full air-bearing planar platform aimed at demanding step-and-scan semiconductor applications. The target uses include direct laser writing and high-resolution optical inspection systems.
At the center of the platform is a multi-degree-of-freedom (mDoF) HEIDENHAIN encoder. ETEL says this architecture ensures accuracy without thermal drift and enables projected tool-point measurement. The company’s controllers can emulate a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) position signal for use as a trigger event. ETEL presents this as an alternative to the classical interferometer used as an advanced trigger generator, with no mirror required on the carriage, no air-lensing effect or air perturbation, and lower cost.
Motion specifications
According to ETEL, the METIS HP provides ±150 nm accuracy over the full XY stroke after mapping and ±150 nm dynamic straightness at speeds up to 1 m/s. Dynamic capability reaches accelerations up to 20 m/s². The company says these characteristics minimize turnaround time and increase machine throughput in step-and-scan applications.
For high-end inspection in advanced packaging, rapid and precise focal-distance adjustments are required. The METIS HP includes a high-bandwidth 4-DoF module that provides fine control over the Z, tip, tilt and theta axes. ETEL describes the platform as suited to these inspection tasks.
Large-area processing
Stéphane Pellegrini, product manager at ETEL, said the METIS HP builds on the company’s long-standing expertise in high-precision platforms and provides the trajectory quality required for advanced optical processes. He added that its speed stability and dynamic straightness support consistent performance at high scanning velocities. The platform supports panel sizes up to 600 mm × 600 mm, which ETEL says addresses growing demand for next-generation maskless lithography on large-area substrates.
ETEL positions the METIS HP as strengthening its high-precision motion-control portfolio by combining speed, stability and dynamic straightness.