US 7,515,359 B2
Support device for positioning an optical element
Jens Kugler, Heubach (Germany); Ulrich Weber, Ulm (Germany); and Sabine Hafenrichter, Aalen-Waldhausen (Germany)
Assigned to Carl Zeiss SMT AG, Oberkochen (Germany)
Appl. No. 11/578,361
PCT Filed Apr. 14, 2004, PCT No. PCT/EP2004/003920
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Oct. 13, 2006,
PCT Pub. No. WO2005/101131, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 27, 2005.
Prior Publication US 2007/0216888 A1, Sep. 20, 2007
Int. Cl. G02B 7/02 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 359—811  [359/813] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Support device for positioning an optical element, comprising:
a first frame unit and a plurality of support units for supporting said optical element,
each of said support units having a first end for fixedly engaging a part of said first frame unit and a second end for supporting said optical element;
said support units being arranged for positioning said optical element along a first direction, a second direction and a third direction in the manner of parallel kinematics,
said first direction, said second direction and said third direction being translatory directions arranged mutually transverse to each other,
characterized in that
there are provided three support units, wherein
each of said support units provides for restriction of a first degree of freedom and a second degree of freedom to support said optical element in an isostatic manner, and
one of said support units comprises a movable part bearing an entire fraction of a load to be taken by said one of said support units when supporting said optical element.