ETEL, a HEIDENHAIN company that supplies high-performance motion control components and complete motion platforms, has introduced the METIS HP, a full air-bearing planar platform designed for demanding step-and-scan semiconductor applications. The company positions the product for direct laser writing and high-resolution optical inspection systems.
According to ETEL, the METIS HP is intended to strengthen its position in high-precision motion control by combining speed and stability, dynamic straightness and projected tool-point measurement capability.
Encoder architecture
At the core of the platform is a multi-degree-of-freedom (mDoF) HEIDENHAIN encoder, which ETEL says maintains accuracy without thermal drift. This architecture enables projected tool-point measurement. ETEL states that its controllers can emulate a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) position signal for use as a trigger event, an approach it presents as an alternative to the classical interferometer used as an advanced trigger generator.
Because the METIS HP does not require a mirror to be added on the carriage, ETEL says the design avoids air lensing effects and air perturbation, and comes at a lower cost.
Step-and-scan processes such as direct laser writing and high-resolution optical inspection rely on precise, repeatable motion across a substrate. ETEL says the METIS HP is engineered for such workflows, where both scanning speed and positional stability matter.
Performance figures
ETEL lists the platform's stated performance as follows:
- ±150 nm accuracy over the full XY stroke after mapping
- ±150 nm dynamic straightness at speeds up to 1 m/s
- Dynamic capability reaching accelerations up to 20 m/s²
The company says these capabilities minimize turnaround time and thereby increase machine throughput for step-and-scan applications.
Inspection and advanced packaging
ETEL notes that high-end inspection applications for advanced packaging require rapid and precise focal-distance adjustments. The METIS HP carries a high-bandwidth 4-DoF module that provides fine control over the Z, tip, tilt and theta axes, which the company describes as making the platform suited to these demanding inspection tasks.
Panel size and maskless lithography
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 are intended to ensure consistent performance even at high scanning velocities.
The platform supports panel sizes up to 600 mm × 600 mm, which ETEL says addresses the growing need for next-generation maskless lithography with large-area substrates.