Patent ID: 7474419
Filing Date: 2009-01-06
Classification: G01R,H01J,H01L

Abstract:
1. A stage assembly for positioning a sample in the vicinity of a reference point, comprising: a sample table for mounting a sample; and a set of actuators, arranged so as to effect translation of the sample table along directions substantially parallel to an X-axis perpendicular to a reference plane, a Y-axis parallel to the reference plane, and a Z-axis parallel to the reference plane, said X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis being mutually orthogonal and passing through the reference point, the set of actuators being further arranged to effect: rotation of the sample table about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the Z-axis, and; rotation of the sample table about a flip axis substantially perpendicular to the Z-axis, in which the flip axis is itself rotatable about the rotation axis.