ETEL, part of HEIDENHAIN and a supplier of high-performance motion-control components and complete motion platforms, has introduced the METIS HP. The new full air-bearing planar platform is intended for demanding step-and-scan semiconductor applications, including direct laser writing and high-resolution optical inspection systems. It adds to ETEL's portfolio of motion-control components and complete motion platforms.
At the center of the design is a multi-degree-of-freedom HEIDENHAIN encoder. ETEL says this encoder architecture provides 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, an approach ETEL presents as an alternative to the classical interferometer used as an advanced trigger generator.
Triggering without a carriage mirror
According to ETEL, the METIS HP removes the need to add a mirror to the carriage. The company also cites the absence of air-lensing effects and air perturbation, along with lower cost, as advantages of the encoder-based triggering approach.
The platform is specified for ±150 nm accuracy over the full XY stroke after mapping. It also provides ±150 nm dynamic straightness at speeds up to 1 m/s, with dynamic capability reaching accelerations up to 20 m/s². ETEL says these capabilities minimize turnaround time and increase machine throughput in step-and-scan applications.
Fine control for inspection
High-end inspection applications require rapid and precise focal-distance adjustments. 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 optimal for these demanding inspection tasks. The module is intended to support fast, small corrections in focal distance.
The METIS HP is aimed at step-and-scan semiconductor tools that require fast movement and stable motion during scanning. ETEL describes the platform as combining exceptional speed and stability with dynamic straightness for these tasks. The platform therefore spans scanning tasks and inspection steps that require high speed, fine corrective control and stable motion. This combination targets applications where throughput and positioning precision both matter. For advanced packaging inspection, the platform's 4-DoF module is intended to support rapid, precise focal adjustments.
Large substrates and maskless lithography
Stéphane Pellegrini, product manager at ETEL, says the METIS HP builds on the company's experience in high-precision platforms and provides the trajectory quality required for advanced optical processes. He also notes that speed stability and dynamic straightness are intended to support consistent performance at high scanning velocities. The platform supports panel sizes up to 600 mm × 600 mm, which ETEL links to the growing need for next-generation maskless lithography on large-area substrates.