JPS61201684A - ceramic structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to ceramic materials, and particularly to ceramic structures that can be molded as structural members.

Hikage Ceramics does not undergo thermal expansion, contraction, or deformation due to heat, making it an excellent material for parts of precision equipment where even slight expansion, contraction, or deformation due to temperature can be a hindrance. However, the extremely high hardness makes surface processing difficult, which limits the use of ceramics as structural materials. In particular, the surface of ceramics is rough, and it has been extremely difficult to perform surface processing or surface finishing that satisfies the shape accuracy required for precision instruments.

Conventionally, metals, such as iron-based materials, have been used as materials for parts of precision equipment, and the shapes have been shaped by cutting, followed by grinding or lapping. (The plating layer was removed during processing) to satisfy the shape accuracy. However, due to the use of iron-based materials, expansion, contraction, and deformation due to temperature cannot be avoided, and great care was taken in the design to keep this within tolerance.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention and Means for Solving the Problems An object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic structure whose material surface can be easily processed.

This object is achieved according to the present invention by providing a metal film on the surface of a ceramic substrate with a thickness sufficient to at least flatten the unevenness of the surface of the ceramic substrate.

That is, a metal film of sufficient thickness (usually 10 μm to 100 μm) to fill at least the irregularities on the surface of the ceramic base material is formed on the surface of the ceramic base material, and then this easily processed metal film is ground or cut to obtain the required precision. It can be a flat surface or shaped to the required precision.

The metal film is, for example, 11. Cu, Ni, NiP.

A metal selected from NiB or the like is fixedly formed into a film on the surface of a ceramic base material by using vapor deposition, sputtering, plasma spraying, electroless plating, or electrolytic plating alone or in combination.

Example Semiconductor printing exposure equipment, precision measurement equipment, etc. use a sliding stage on which the workpiece or measured object is placed, and this book is intended to be used as a member of the hydrostatic linear guide mechanism that guides this sliding stage. Examples of the invention will be described below.

FIG. 1 is an end view of the hydrostatic linear guide mechanism, where 1 is the guide shaft, 2 is the pillar of the guide shaft, 3.5 is the outer and inner side walls of the fluid injection housing, and 4.6 is the side wall of the fluid injection housing. A top plate and a floor plate, 7 a sliding stage, 8 a central leg of the sliding stage, and 9 a fluid ejection pad. The sliding stage 7 is supported in a floating state by the static pressure generated against the guide shaft 1 by the fluid jetted from the fluid jetting pad 9.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the guide shaft 1, in which a metal 1!1b is formed on the surface of a ceramic prism 1a, and this metal film is ground or cut to the required precision to smooth the surface. Namely, Fe, Cu, Ni, NiP.

A metal film is formed by vapor deposition, sputtering, thermal spraying, electroless plating, or electrolytic plating of one type of metal selected from NiB, etc., and then the surface of this metal film is ground to obtain the required shape accuracy.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outer sidewall of the fluid ejection housing. A metal film 3b is formed on a ceramic flat plate 3a, and the surface is smoothed. Holes are provided for fluid injection. The ceramic base material is selected to satisfy conditions such as strength and thermal expansion, depending on the application. The type of metal plating should be selected from materials (chemical nickel, Cu, etc.) that are suitable for precision cutting (ultra-precision diamond cutting), and the adhesion strength of any base material can be increased using ceramic plating paste. Depending on the type of material, the surface hardness of the structural material can be selected within a certain range.

Although the ceramic structure of the present invention has been described as being applied to the structure of a linear guide mechanism of a semiconductor printing exposure apparatus,
The present invention makes it possible to use ceramic materials instead of iron-based materials for the structure of such precision equipment, thereby making it possible to avoid deterioration in equipment performance due to temperature changes and to reduce the weight of equipment. It was. In this way, the scope of use of ceramic materials with excellent temperature characteristics as structural materials is expanded by the present invention.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an end view of a sliding stage of a semiconductor printing exposure apparatus. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the guide shaft of the sliding stage shown in FIG. 1, with a part of the metal film on the surface of the ceramic prism according to the present invention removed. 3 is a perspective view of a side wall of the fluid ejection housing of the sliding stage of FIG. 1; FIG. In the figure: 1: Guide shaft, 2: Support of guide shaft, 3; 5: Side wall of fluid injection housing, 4; 6: Top plate and floor plate of fluid injection housing, 7: Sliding stage, 8: Center leg of sliding stage, 9: Fluid ejection pad, 1a: Ceramic prism, 1b: 3b: Metal film,
3a: Ceramic flat plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A ceramic structure characterized by having a metal film on the surface of a ceramic base material having a thickness sufficient to at least flatten unevenness on the surface of the ceramic base material. 2. Claim 1 in which the metal film is made of a metal selected from Fe, Cu, Ni, NiP, and NiB.
Ceramic structure described in Section. 3. The ceramic structure according to claim 1, wherein the metal film has a thickness of 10 μm to 100 μm.