Abstract: The invention comprises a high vacuum compatible electron beam stage having an X/Y and theta coordinate positioning drive mechanism mounted from below the stage. The stage comprises four plates: A base plate, an X plate slidably mounted thereon and constrained to slide in an X direction, a Y plate slidably mounted on the X plate and constrained to slide in a Y direction, and a theta plate mounted on the Y plate and constrained to translate in the Z direction. Two rotary capstans, mounted on drive shafts, are coupled on each to the X and Y plates by a metallic band looped around the capstan and attached at opposite ends to the plate. Rotation of the capstan causes the respective plates to slide in their constrained direction. The theta plate drive shaft is limited to vertical motion. The Y and theta drive shafts couple to universal joints. All three drive shafts couple to bellows joints. This permits the drive shafts to deflect at small angles.

Abstract: A high vacuum compatible X-Y positioning stage having an air bearing is provided. A pair of moveable carriages is mounted interior to an airtight chamber. Constraints allow movement of each carriage to only one horizontal direction, the directions of each carriage being orthogonal. Air inlet and outlet ports enter the chamber through apertures, and are mounted on the carriages and are moveable therewith. Airtight, flexible bellows form an airtight seal between the chamber and air ports at the apertures. Pressurized air communicated through the ports to the carriage is constrained to exit the carriage via small orifices about the exterior thereof to form an air bearing. The air is constrained to exit the airtight chamber through a passageway mounted in the carriage and leading to the outlet port. A stage is mounted on one pair of ports. The other pair is mounted in a fixed position. The stage is moveable in an X-Y plane vis-a-vis the fixed position on a compensated air bearing.

Abstract: Electron-beam stage X-Y positioning instrumentation is provided. The electron-beam stage has a number of metal blocks affixed to its bottom. Fixed orthogonal noncontact gage heads are used to sense the distance of the heads from the parallel faces of a proximate metal block. The position of the metal block vis-a-vis the position of the fixed referenced gage heads yields the X-Y coordinates of the stage. The stage is first coarsely positioned adjacent a preselected block.Thereafter the exact position of the stage is computed from the distances sensed by the gage heads. The electron beam electronics are automatically adjusted to the actual position of the stage thereby eliminating the relatively slow, fine positioning of the stage.