TWI451084B - Sensor for position and gap measurement - Google Patents

Description

Sensor for position and gap measurement

The present invention relates to a position sensor, and more particularly to a position sensor for detecting an object in a multi-dimensional position.

There are currently a number of methods for determining the position of a moving object. For example, there is a vehicle navigation system that uses radar signals that interact with road streaks to determine the position of the car. Another positioning system uses radio communication. But both systems require a power source that can be used on moving objects. Radio waves are also attenuated by the effects of intervening structures and electrical signals.

The position can also be determined by, for example, a linear differential transformer (LVDT). The linear differential transformer is a displacement sensor that uses one primary winding and two secondary windings wound around a cylindrical bobbin. The movable nickel core or armature is located inside the winding, and the position of the movable object is obtained by measuring the movement of the core. Hall effect sensors can be used to measure displacement in the same way. Linear differential transformers and Hall effect sensors are commonly used to measure, such as linear brakes and displacement displacement of pistons.

For high precision positioning systems such as stepper motors, suspension and/or scanning platforms, conventional methods of position measurement use capacitive sensors, inductive sensors, optical sensors, and laser sensors. These sensors typically provide high resolution and low positioning interference. However, overall cost, range limitations and required degrees of freedom have narrowed their application areas.

It would be beneficial if the position of the moving object could be measured along multiple axes at the same time. If you can measure the multi-dimensional position of the object on the extended stroke, you will also It is beneficial.

The present invention provides an apparatus comprising: a controller; a transport tool in communication with the controller and having a movable portion and a transport channel; and a multi-dimensional position measuring device in communication with the controller, the multi-dimensional position measurement The apparatus includes a plurality of transformers and at least one component attached to the movable portion; wherein the multi-dimensional position measuring device is disposed to turn on at least when the at least one component passes through a position adjacent to the at least one of the plurality of transformers a loop of the plurality of transformers; the controller being configured to simultaneously calculate a multi-dimensional position of the moving object based on an output of the at least one of the plurality of transformers, wherein the multi-dimensional position comprises the active portion and the plurality of transformers At least one gap between.

1A-1C illustrate an exemplary structure of a sensor that is simultaneously measured along multiple axes in accordance with the present exemplary embodiment. Although the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings, it is to be understood that this embodiment can be embodied in various modified embodiments. In addition, any suitable component size, shape or type, or material may be used.

The present embodiment provides a sensor 100 configured to provide an infinite length position measurement along a first axis while each multi-dimensional measurement is performed using the same sensor, while providing position measurement along the second axis and Position measurement in the plane. As a non-limiting example, the sensor 100 can be used with a magnetic levitation transport tool or a pressure plate (such as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0151562 and entitled "Automatic Mechanical Drive with Maglev Spindle Bearing", filed on June 27, 2008). In order to measure the position of the conveying tool in the direction of the stroke of any suitable distance, The gap between the platen and the fixed surface, and the planar position or orientation of the platen. It will be appreciated that this embodiment can be used to sense the position of any suitable moving object. Suitable moving objects include, but are not limited to, objects that are movable in one or more dimensions, and are not limited to delivery tools and actuators. It should also be understood that although the present embodiment is described in relation to a linear transmission system, the present embodiment can be applied to a rotary drive system in substantially the same manner as described below.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a cross-sectional view of the sensor 100 is shown. In an exemplary embodiment, sensor 100 includes a set of stationary transformers 109 that are distributed in the direction or plane of motion C (see FIG. 1B) of moving object 104. The sensor 100 also includes an element 105 attached to the moving object 104 such that when the element 105 approaches a respective transformer 109, the element 105 closes the circuit of the transformer. For exemplary purposes only, the loop of transformer 109 is described herein as a magnetic circuit while element 105 is depicted as an iron component. It should be understood, however, that in alternative embodiments, the circuit can be any suitable circuit that can be any suitable component made of a material capable of closing the circuit of the transformer 109.

Each of the fixed transformers 109 includes a set of primary windings 101 and a set of secondary windings 102 (i.e., a set of windings) wound around a common core 103. The core 103 can be an open core. In alternative embodiments, the core can be of any suitable construction and can be fabricated from any suitable material. In other alternative embodiments, there may be more than one set of primary and secondary windings 101, 102. In the present exemplary embodiment, primary winding 101 is located above secondary winding 102, but in alternative embodiments, secondary winding 102 may be located above the primary winding or any other suitable location relative to the primary winding. The primary winding and the secondary winding can be any suitable Made of a conductive material, including but not limited to iron and copper. The primary and secondary windings 101, 102 can be spaced apart from one another by any suitable distance R.

The iron element 105 attached to the movable object 104 can have any suitable shape and size so that when the iron element 105 passes near the primary and secondary windings 101, 102, the loop between the primary and secondary windings 101, 102 is closure. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the iron element 105 can have a length that spans the primary and secondary windings 101, 102. In the present exemplary embodiment, the iron element 105 bridges the spacing R between the primary winding and the secondary windings 101, 102 to close the loop. In an alternative embodiment, the element can be configured to close the loop between the primary winding and the secondary winding in any suitable manner. The iron element 105 also exhibits a height H that exceeds each of the windings 101, 102. However, in alternative embodiments, the iron elements may or may not exceed the height of each of the windings 101,102. In an exemplary embodiment, as seen in FIG. 1B, the iron element 105 can have substantially the same width as the windings 101, 102. In alternative embodiments, the element 105 can have a width that is greater or less than the windings 101, 102. It should be noted that any suitable number of iron elements 105 can be secured to the moving object 104. It is also noted that one or more of the iron elements 105 can be located at any suitable location on the moving object 104 where the position and gap are to be measured. For example, the iron elements 105 can be placed along any suitable length of the sides of the object 104, can be placed at various corners of the object 104, can be placed at the top or bottom of the object, or at any other suitable location, depending on the size and shape of the object, the object will be tracked Which part of the location is waiting. Since the position and the gap are measured at fixed points on the moving object 104, the motion control of the object 104 can be optimized.

Reference is now made to Figures 1B and 1C. FIG. 1B shows a top view of the sensor 100, and FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram of the sensor. Any suitable number of windings 101, 102 and The iron cores 103 are all distributed along a fixed surface such as the traveling direction C of the movable object 104. In this example, the stroke direction is in the X direction, but in alternative embodiments, the stroke direction can be along any suitable axis or combination of multiple axes. Any suitable number of winding arrangements can be placed in the direction of the stroke C, so the sensor 100 has an infinite sensing range in the direction of the stroke C of the object. The winding means can be spaced apart from each other by a pitch P. The pitch P can be any suitable distance and can correspond to the resolution of the sensor 100. For example, the smaller the pitch, the higher the resolution of the sensor and vice versa.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the primary windings 101a-101n can be connected to an AC power source and powered by the AC power source. Therefore, the position of the element 105 and the gap between the element 105 and the core 109 of the transformer 109 can be determined based on the voltage induced on the secondary winding 102 of the transformer 109. In an alternate embodiment, the primary winding 101 can be coupled to any suitable power source capable of inducing a voltage in the secondary winding through the component 105. The secondary windings 102a-102n can be coupled to voltage busbars 107, 108 in the AC structure such that the secondary windings have alternating polarity. For example, the voltage busbar 107 can have a first polarity, and the voltage busbar 108 can have a second polarity (different from the first polarity) such that the winding 102a can be coupled to the busbar 108 and the winding 102b can be coupled to the busbar 107, The winding 102c can be connected to the bus bar 108, the winding 102d can be connected to the bus bar 107, and the like. In an alternative embodiment, the secondary winding 102 can be coupled to any one or more of the voltage busses in any suitable manner and/or configuration. The signed amplitudes of the voltages across the busbars 107, 108 are labeled A and B, respectively.

In operation, when the element 105 is not adjacent to the core 103, the voltage induced by the secondary winding 102 is small and balanced, resulting in passage through the busbars 107, 108. The voltages A and B are substantially zero. When the iron element 105 moves in the direction of the stroke C, the iron element 105 closes the magnetic circuit of the pair of primary and secondary windings adjacent thereto. For example, referring to Figure 1C, the iron elements are located adjacent the pairs of windings 101e-102e and 101f-102f such that the magnetic paths of the winding pairs are at least partially closed. In this example, if the iron element 105 is moved in the direction T, the loop between the winding pairs 101e-102e will be broken and the loop between the winding pairs 101f-102f will be closed. At this time, the voltage induced in the winding pair 101e-102e will decrease, and the voltage caused by the winding pair 101f-102f will rise. The voltage induced by a particular winding pair can be proportional to the positional overlap between the iron element 105 and the core 103 associated with that particular winding pair. In this example, the position overlap will be in the direction T along the X axis. In alternative embodiments, the overlap can be on any suitable axis along any suitable stroke direction.

Referring now to Figure 2A, an exemplary graph of the output or induced voltages A, B of the secondary windings is shown. As shown in the figure, the amplitudes of the voltages A, B are plotted along the vertical axis, while the travel distance along the X-axis (first axis) is plotted along the horizontal axis in the figure. When the iron element 105 passes the position close to each winding pair, the induced voltage produces an output signal having a substantially zigzag curve distribution. As can be seen in Figure 2A, the two output signals A, B have substantially a sine/cosine relationship, the phase of which shifts the distance of the windings to the pitch P. In an alternative embodiment, the phase of the two output signals can be moved by any suitable amount. Since the secondary winding 102 of each winding pair has an alternating polarity, the period of each of the two signals A, B is 4 times or 4P of the pitch. In an alternative embodiment, the periods of signals A, B may have any suitable length, which may be greater or less than 4P.

The position of the iron element 150 in the direction of motion (in this example along the X-axis) can be derived from the two voltage signals A, B by means of, for example, the following formula:

Where x is the position measured by the iron element 105 along the x-axis, A and B are the two induced voltage signals generated by the sensor 100, x ₀ and K _X are the calibration constants for the stroke in the x direction, |A| and | B| is the absolute value of signals A and B, respectively.

It should be noted that the formula [1] can provide continuous position information within one cycle n or 4 times 4P of the pitch. In one embodiment, the sensor 100 can be used as an incremental encoder in which the absolute position of the iron element 105 can be derived based on the number of transitions of the periodic signals A, B along an infinite stroke length in the x direction. . In an alternative embodiment, the sensor 100 can be used as an absolute encoder. In other embodiments, the position of each winding pair at the beginning of each cycle n can be obtained and stored in a memory of any suitable controller, such as controller 1090 (Fig. 10). In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 1090 can be part of a cluster control structure as described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/178,615, filed on Jul. <RTIgt; in. In order to obtain the position of the iron element 105, the controller can determine which windings are closed or partially closed, which windings use the recorded position of the closed winding pair as a baseline measurement, and which winding pairs are increased or decreased by the formula [1] The distance between the measured period n and the recorded position. In an alternative embodiment, the information obtained from the sensor can be used to measure the position of the iron element 105 in any suitable manner. It should be noted that the controller described herein coupled to one or more exemplary sensors can include a computer readable generation embodied in a computer readable medium. Codes for the calculations and controls described herein.

In an exemplary embodiment, the position of the core may be measured by, for example, calculating the number of transitions of the periodic signals A, B; the sensor 100 may be used in conjunction with an electric motor, wherein the period n of the sensor 100 is related to the motor The electrical cycle is matched so that the motor can be rectified without knowing the absolute position at power-on. Examples of electric motors include, but are not limited to, brushless or brushed DC motors, and brushless or brushed AC motors.

1A, 1B and 2B, the magnitudes of the induced voltage signals A, B are dependent on the gap G (see Figs. 1A and 1B) of the iron member 105 and the core measured along, for example, the Y-axis (second axis). As can be seen in Fig. 2B, the figure shows the relationship between the respective amplitudes of the absolute values |A|, |B| of the signals A, B and the gap G along the Y-axis. In this example, the sum of the absolute values of A and B is plotted along the ordinate axis, and the distance or gap G along the Y axis is plotted along the abscissa axis of the graph. The larger the amplitude of the absolute value |A| or |B| or the larger the sum of the absolute values |A| and |B|, the smaller the gap G.

Also, the gap between the iron member 150 and the iron core 103 along, for example, the Y-axis can be derived from the two voltage signals A, B by, for example, the following equation.

Where y is the gap measured between the iron element 105 and the core 103 along the y-axis, A and B are the two induced voltage signals generated by the sensor 100, and y ₀ and K _X are the calibrations of the stroke in the y direction The constants, |A| and |B| are the absolute values of signals A and B, respectively. It is noted that the exemplary equation [2] for calculating the gap G can be linearized around the expected operating point. In alternative embodiments, the position and gap G of the iron element 105 can be calculated using any suitable equation and/or value.

To this end, the exemplary embodiment has described the positional measurement of the movable object 104 within two dimensions (i.e., along the x-axis and the air gap between the object 104 and the core 103). However, in another exemplary embodiment, the sensor 100 can be used to obtain a position measurement of a moving object in more than two dimensions. For example, referring to Figure 3, the winding arrangement can be distributed along any suitable number of axes. In this example, winding devices 300-311 are distributed along the x-axis and the z-axis (third axis). It will be appreciated that the use of the x-axis and the z-axis is practically exemplary only, and any suitable shaft may be used. In this exemplary embodiment, the x-axis and the z-axis are orthogonal to each other, but in alternative embodiments, there may be any suitable angular relationship between the axes. For example, the shafts may have an angular relationship greater than or less than 90 degrees. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, winding arrangements 300-311 are shown in a grid pattern, but in alternative embodiments, winding devices 300-311 can be arranged in any suitable pattern, these patterns Including but not limited to "L" type graphics, "T" type graphics or cross graphics. In this exemplary embodiment, as will be described below, the primary and secondary windings and the iron elements of each winding arrangement can have a suitable size and shape, and the winding means can have a suitable spacing relative to each other so that A substantially zigzag output profile is produced relative to the x-axis and the z-axis.

In this example, winding devices such as devices 300-303 are disposed along the x-axis in substantially the same manner as described above with respect to Figures 1A and 1B. For example, winding devices 300-303 have primary windings 300P-303P and secondary windings 300S-303S, respectively. The secondary winding 300S can be coupled to the bus bar 107 and produce a voltage signal A, the secondary winding 301S can be coupled to the bus bar 108 and produce a voltage signal B, the secondary winding 302S can be coupled to the bus bar 107 and produce a voltage signal A, and the like. As can be seen in Figure 4, as described below, the secondary windings can also be combined with sinks. Rows 407, 408 are connected to measure the distance along the Z axis.

Winding devices such as winding devices 300, 304, 308 are arranged along the Z-axis in a similar manner. For example, the winding arrangements 300, 304, 308 also have primary windings 300P, 304P, 308P and secondary windings 300S, 304S, 308S such that the secondary windings 300S, 304S, 308S are connected to the busbar 107 to produce a voltage signal A. However, as shown in FIG. 4, secondary windings 300S, 304S, 308S can also be coupled to voltage busses 407 and 408 to generate voltage signals C and D, respectively. Secondary windings such as windings 300S, 304S, 308S may be coupled to busbars 407, 408 by means of an alternating current such that winding 300S may be coupled to busbar 407 for generating a voltage signal C, which may be coupled to busbar 408 for voltage generation. Signal D, winding 308S can be coupled to bus bar 407 to generate voltage signal D, and the like. It is noted that as described above, voltage signals A and B can be used to measure the distance along the X-axis, and as will be described below, voltage signals C and D can be used to measure the distance along the Z-axis. It should be noted that only some of the secondary windings shown in Figure 3 have reference numerals for clarity, but all secondary windings are labeled with voltage signals A, B, C, D respectively generated by the respective secondary windings. .

When the iron element 105 is moved around the winding arrangement 300-311, a substantially zigzag-like signal similar to that shown in Figure 2A can be produced on the X-axis. On the X-axis, the magnitude of the signals A and B depends on the gap between the iron element 105 and the core 103 of each winding arrangement 300-311. In an alternative embodiment, the iron element and winding arrangement can be configured to generate a signal of any suitable shape. Also, as described above, the position of the iron element along the X axis can be calculated with respect to equation [1], and the gap can be calculated with respect to equation [2]. In an alternative embodiment, the position and clearance can be passed Calculate in any suitable way.

Similarly, a substantially jagged signal as shown in Figure 5A can be produced on the Z-axis. On the Z-axis, the magnitude of the signals C and D depends on the gap G between the iron element 105 and the core 103 of each winding arrangement 300-311. As can be seen in Figure 5A, this figure shows an exemplary graph of the output or induced voltages C, D in the secondary winding. The amplitudes of the voltages C and D are plotted along the ordinate axis, and the travel distance along the Z axis is plotted along the abscissa axis in the figure. When the iron element 105 passes the position near the pair of windings along the Z axis, the induced voltage produces an output signal having a substantially zigzag distribution curve. As described above, in alternative embodiments, the iron element and winding arrangement can be configured to generate a signal of any suitable shape. As can be seen from Figure 5A, the two output signals C, D have substantially a sine/cosine relationship, the phase of which shifts the distance of the windings to the pitch. Since the secondary winding 102 of each winding pair has an alternating polarity along the Z-axis, each of the two periods C, D is 4 times or 4P' of the pitch. In an alternative embodiment, the period n of each of the signals C, D may be greater than or less than 4P'. It is achieved that the pitch P' along the Z axis is substantially equal to the pitch P along the X axis. In alternative embodiments, the pitch P' may be greater or less than the pitch P, so each axis may have a different sensor resolution.

The position at which the iron member 150 moves along the Z axis can be derived from the voltage signals C, D by equations such as the following.

Where z is the position measured by the iron element 105 along the z-axis, C and D are the two induced voltage signals generated by the sensor 100, z ₀ and K _z are the calibration constants for the stroke in the z direction, |C| And |D| are the absolute values of signals C and D, respectively.

It should be noted that equation [3] provides continuous positional information along the Z-axis within a period n or 4 times 4P' of the pitch. In one embodiment, the inductor 100 can be used as an incremental encoder in which the absolute position of the iron element 105 can be derived based on the number of transitions of the periodic signals C, D along an infinite stroke length in the Z direction. In other embodiments, the position of each winding pair at the beginning of each cycle n can be obtained and stored in the memory of any suitable controller. In order to obtain the position of the iron element 105, the controller can determine which windings are closed or partially closed to the loop, which windings use the recorded position of the closed pair of windings as a baseline measurement, and which winding pairs are increased or decreased in a formula such as [ 3] The distance between the measured period n and the recorded position of the winding pair. In an alternative embodiment, the information obtained from the sensor can be used to measure the position of the iron element 105 along the Z-axis in any suitable manner.

As can be seen in Fig. 5B, the graph shows the relationship between the amplitudes of the absolute values |C|, |D| of the signals C, D along the Z-axis and the gap G along the Y-axis, respectively. In this example, the sum of the absolute values of C and D is plotted along the ordinate axis, while the distance or gap G along the Y axis is plotted along the abscissa axis of the graph. The larger the amplitude of the absolute value |C| or |D| or the larger the sum of the absolute values |C| and |D|, the smaller the gap G. Also, the gap can be calculated using, for example, equation [2] or such as the following equation.

Where y is the gap measured between the iron element 105 and the core 103 along the y-axis, C and D are the two induced voltage signals generated by the sensor 100, and y ₀ and K _y are the calibrations of the stroke in the y direction The constants, |C| and |D| are the absolute values of signals C and D, respectively. It is noted that the exemplary equation [3] for calculating the gap G can be linearized around the expected operating point. As mentioned above, in alternative embodiments, the position and gap G of the iron element 105 can be calculated using any suitable equation and/or value.

In another exemplary embodiment, referring to FIG. 6, the sensor 600 can perform multi-dimensional position measurement using a Hall effect sensor. The Hall effect sensor can be any suitable Hall effect sensor. Hall effect sensors 610a-610n may be distributed at equal intervals along the travel direction C' of the moving object 604. For example, Hall effect sensors 610a-610n may be spaced apart by a pitch P", where pitch P" may be any suitable distance that depends on the resolution of inductor 600.

In this example, a magnet having a suitable shape and size can be attached to the movable object 604. In an alternative embodiment, however, an object capable of generating any suitable field that can be induced by the Hall effect sensor can be attached to the moving object 604. As the moving object moves along the channel C', the Hall effect sensors 610a-610n detect the magnetic field density of the magnet 620 as the magnet 620, such as in the X direction, as the magnet passes near a respective one of the sensors 610a-610n. Upon passing through the Hall effect sensors 610a-610n, the sensors 610a-610n produce a substantially sinusoidal output signal E as shown in Figure 8A. The distance along the X-axis can be determined by calculating the period of the signal E, which can be determined by the maximum and/or minimum values output by the Hall effect sensor. In an alternative embodiment, the period of output E can be calculated in any manner. In other alternative embodiments, the position of each Hall effect sensor along a device such as the X-axis or any other suitable axis may be obtained and recorded in a memory such as a controller coupled to sensor 600. The approximate location of the active object 604 can be determined by determining which Hall effect sensor is It is measured by outputting a signal. When the moving object is located between the Hall effect sensors, the more accurate distance along the X axis (ie, the position of the moving object within the distance P" can be obtained by interpolating the distance of the moving object. This interpolation replaces or The improved distance can be obtained by using any suitable interpolation technique. In this technique, the number of cycles or the position of the active Hall effect sensor is added or subtracted from the interpolation result to accurately measure the moving object along the X-axis, for example. position.

Referring to Figure 8B, the magnitude of the signal E depends on the active object 604, the magnet 620 attached to the moving object, and the gap G between the Hall effect sensors 610a-610n. For example, the greater the amplitude of the signal E, the closer the active object 604 is to the Hall effect sensors 610a-610n and vice versa. The gap G in this example is along the Y-axis, but it is again noted that the axes used to describe the exemplary embodiments have virtually only exemplary functions and can be replaced by any suitable axis or coordinate system. In an exemplary embodiment, the distance of the gap G from the moving object 604 can be calculated by a lookup table such as the magnitude of the magnetic flux density sensed by the Hall effect sensors 610a-610b. In other exemplary embodiments, the gap may be calculated in a manner substantially the same as described above and associated with equations [2] and [4]. In other alternative embodiments, the gap can be calculated using any suitable equation or table.

Referring to Figure 7, Hall effect sensors 700-715 can also be placed along two orthogonal axes for planar motion measurement and measurement of air gaps between moving object 604 and Hall effect sensors. In alternative embodiments, the shafts may have any suitable relationship to each other, such as an angle between the shafts that may be greater or less than ninety degrees. In this example, to measure planar motion such as on plane X-Z, Hall effect sensors such as sensors 700-703 may pass pitch P"' substantially as described above A similar manner to the manner of Figure 6 is provided along the X axis. Hall effect sensors such as sensors 700, 704, 708, 712 can also be placed along the Z axis at a pitch P"'. Although the spacing along the X and Z axes is described in this example to be the same, In alternative embodiments, the spacing along different axes may be different to provide different sensor resolution (e.g., accuracy) with respect to different axes.

When the magnet 620 passes near the Hall effect sensors 700-703, an output waveform substantially similar to the waveform shown in Fig. 8A is produced. The position along the X axis can be determined in a manner substantially similar to that described above with respect to 8A. Likewise, when magnet 620 passes near, for example, Hall effect sensors 700, 704, 708, 712, a sinusoidal output F as shown in Figure 9A is produced. The distance along the Z-axis can be determined by calculating the period of the signal F, which can be determined by a maximum value and/or a minimum value such as a Hall effect sensor output. In an alternative embodiment, the period of output E can be calculated in any manner. In other alternative embodiments, the position of each Hall effect sensor along the Z-axis or any other suitable axis may be obtained and recorded in a memory such as a controller coupled to sensor 600. The approximate location of the moving object 604 can be determined by determining which Hall effect sensor is outputting the signal. When the moving object is located between the Hall effect sensors, the more accurate distance along the Z axis (ie, the position of the moving object within the distance P"' can be obtained by interpolating the distance of the moving object. This interpolation is replaced by Or the improved distance can be obtained by using any suitable interpolation technique. In this technique, the number of cycles or the position of the active Hall effect sensor is added or subtracted from the interpolation result in order to accurately measure the moving object along the Z, such as Z The position of the axis.

Referring to Figure 9B, as described above, the magnitude of the signal F depends on the active object 604, the magnet 620 attached to the moving object, and the Hall effect sensors 610a-610n. The gap between G. In this example, the distance of the gap G from the moving object 604 can be calculated by a lookup table such as the magnitude of the magnetic flux density sensed by the Hall effect sensors 610a-610b. In other alternative embodiments, the gap can be calculated in a manner substantially similar to that described above and associated with equations [2] and [4]. In alternative embodiments, the gap can be calculated using any suitable equation or table.

In other alternative embodiments, the sensor 600 can include a magnetic pressure plate in place of the magnet 620. The magnetic pressure plate may have a plurality of magnets provided with alternating magnetic poles, as described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 27, filed on Jun. 27, 2008. The disclosure of this patent application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In operation, as described above, the exemplary position measuring system described herein can be used on a device having a mechanized delivery tool, such as to transport a product from one location to another. For exemplary purposes, only the operation of the exemplary position measuring system is described with respect to a semiconductor processing apparatus, but it will be appreciated that the exemplary position measuring system can be used with any suitable device and/or processing equipment as described above.

Referring now to Figure 10, an exemplary semiconductor substrate processing apparatus 1010 is illustrated in which aspects of the disclosed embodiments are utilized. A processing device 1010 is shown with an environmental front end module (EFEM) 1014 having a plurality of loads 1012. The load port 1012 can support a plurality of substrate storage tanks, such as conventional FOUP tanks; however, any other suitable type of tank can be provided. The EFEM 1014 is in communication with the processing device via a load lock device 1016. The load lock device is coupled to the processing device. EFEM 1014 (which can be connected to the atmosphere) has a substrate transport device capable of transporting the substrate from the load port 1012 to the load lock device 1016 (not show). The EFEM 1014 may also include substrate alignment capabilities, batch transfer capabilities, substrate and carrier identification capabilities, and the like. In an alternative embodiment, the load lock device 1016 can interface with the load port 1012, such as where the load lock device has batch processing capabilities, or where the load lock device directly transfers the wafer from the FOUP to the load lock device. In the case of ability. U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10/200,818, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety in the U.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S.S. The patent and application disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In alternative embodiments, other load lock devices may also be used.

Still referring to Figure 10, it has been previously noted that the processing device 1010 can be used to process semiconductor substrates (e.g., 200/300 mm wafers or other wafers of suitable size or larger than 200/300 mm), flat panel displays, or any other desired A type of substrate, processing device typically includes a transfer chamber 1018, a processing module 1020, and at least one substrate transport device 1022. In the illustrated embodiment, the substrate transport device 1022 is integrally disposed with the chamber 1018. In this embodiment, the processing modules are mounted on both sides of the chamber 1018. In other embodiments, as illustrated in Figure 12, the processing module can be mounted to one side of the chamber. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 10, each processing module 1020 is mounted opposite the other in the Y1, Y2 column or vertical plane. In other alternative embodiments, the processing modules may be staggered on opposite sides of the transport chamber, or stacked in a vertical direction from one another. The delivery device 1022 has a cart 1022C that moves within the chamber 1018 to transport the substrate between the load lock device 1016 and the processing chamber 1020. In the embodiment shown here, only one cart 1022C is provided, but in other alternative implementations In this case, more cars can be set. As shown in Figure 10, the transfer chamber 1018 (with its interior in a vacuum or inert atmosphere, or a simple clean environment or combinations thereof) has a structure and uses a substrate transport device 1022 that allows processing of the mold The set is mounted in chamber 1018 in a Cartesian coordinate arrangement such that the modules are substantially parallel to a vertical plane or column. This results in the processing device 1010 having a more compact footprint than conventional processing devices of the same type (i.e., conventional processing devices having the same number of processing modules) (see Figure 16). Additionally, to increase throughput, the transfer chamber 1018 can be set to any desired length to add any desired number of processing modules, as will be described in more detail below. The delivery chamber 1018 can also support any number of delivery devices required in the delivery chamber and allow the delivery device 1022 to reach any desired processing chamber 1020 on the delivery chamber 1018 without interfering with each other. This actually separates the capacity of the processing device from the delivery capacity of the delivery device, so the throughput of the processing device is limited only by the processing capacity and not by the delivery capacity. Therefore, as long as the processing modules and corresponding transport capabilities are added to the same platform, productivity can be increased as needed.

Still referring to Fig. 10, in this embodiment, the delivery chamber 1018 is generally rectangular, but in alternative embodiments, the delivery chamber can be any other suitable shape. The chamber 1018 has an elongated shape (i.e., a length that is much greater than the width) and defines a generally linear delivery passageway in the chamber for the delivery device. The chamber 1018 has a longitudinal side wall 1018S. The side wall 1018S has a delivery opening or weir 1018O formed therethrough. The transfer port 1018O is of sufficient size to allow the substrate to pass into and out of the transfer chamber through the weir (which may be through a valve). As can be seen in Figure 10, the processing module 1020 of this embodiment is mounted outside of the side wall 1018S, and each processing module is aligned with the corresponding transport port in the transfer chamber. Can realize each processing mode The set 1020 is sealed around the perimeter of the corresponding delivery port and against the side 1018S of the chamber 1018 to maintain a vacuum within the delivery chamber. Each processing module can have a valve that can be controlled by any suitable means to close the delivery weir as needed. The transport crucible 1018O can be located in the same horizontal plane. Therefore, the processing modules on the chamber are also aligned with the same horizontal plane. In an alternative embodiment, the transport crucibles can be placed in different horizontal planes. As can be seen in Figure 10, in this embodiment, the load lock device 1016 is mounted to the two forwardmost transport ports on the side 1018S of the chamber. This allows the load lock device to be located near the EFEM 1014 at the front end of the processing device. In an alternative embodiment, the load lock device can be located on any other transport port of the delivery chamber as shown in FIG. The hexahedral shaped transfer chamber allows the length of the chamber to be selected as needed to accommodate the desired number of rows of processing modules (eg, as shown in other embodiments shown in Figures 11 and 13-15, wherein the length of the transfer chamber can be Accommodate any number of processing modules).

As previously mentioned, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 10, the transfer chamber 1018 is provided with a substrate transport device 1022 having a single cart 1022C. The delivery device 1022 is integral with the chamber to cause the carriage 1022C to translate back and forth between the forward end 1018F and the rear end 1018B of the chamber. The delivery device 1022 is configured with a cart 1022C having an end effector to hold one or more substrates. The cart 1022C of the transport device 1022 also has an articulated arm or movable transport mechanism 1022A for telescoping the end effector to pick up or release the substrate on the processing module or load lock device. To pick up or release the substrate on the processing module/loading port, the delivery device 1022 can be aligned with the desired module/埠 and the arm is extended/retracted by the corresponding 埠1018O to end the substrate for picking/releasing. Actuator positioning and the module/埠

The delivery device 1022 shown in Figure 10 is a typical delivery device that includes a cart 1022C supported by a linear bracket/drive rail. The delivery device can be substantially similar to the magnetic levitation delivery device described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0151562, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, but any suitable linear or rotary delivery device can be used. The linear bracket/drive rail can be mounted to the side wall 1018S, bottom or top of the transfer chamber and can extend the length of the chamber. This allows the cart 1022C to also allow the device to move back and forth over the length of the chamber. The cart has a frame and the frame supports the arm. The frame also supports a caster plate or platen 1022B that moves with or relative to the frame. Any suitable motor, such as a sequential synchronous linear motor, can drive the platen along the rail to drive the cart. In this exemplary embodiment, the arms are operatively coupled to the platen 1022B by a suitable linkage/transmission mechanism such that the arms elongate or contract as the platen moves by relative motion with respect to each other by the drive motor. For example, the transmission structure is arranged such that when the pressure plate is moved along the guide rail, the arms extend to the left, and when the pressure plates are moved back together, the arms are retracted from the left side. The platen may also be adapted to be operated by a linear motor to extend the arm 1022A to the right/retract from the right.

Through the above position measuring system, the position control of the pressure plate and the linear motor on the slide rail and the position sensing of the telescopic position of the pressure plate, the trolley and the arm can be completed. For example, the field generating element or platen MP can be similar to the iron element 105 or magnet described above, can be secured to the delivery platens 1022A, 1022B, or be part of the delivery platen such that the field created by the platen MP is concentrated at the sides 1018S of the chamber 1018. Sensors S, such as transformer 109 or Hall effect sensors 610a-610n or their planar equivalents shown in Figures 3 and 7, respectively, can be placed along the side of chamber 1018 in the manner described above. 1022C and conveying platen Path arrangement of 1022A, 1022B. It should be noted that only a few sensor groups S are shown in the figures for clarity. It should also be noted that any of the above-described position sensing systems can be used alone or in any combination, so that the position of the cart can be accurately determined.

The controller 1090 can be configured to sequentially scan the sensor S for output while the sensor located at point 1080 is configured as the first scanned sensor, thereby positioning the position of the cart 1022C back to point 1080 Up to provide absolute position measurement. As described above, each sensor S can be positioned a predetermined distance from any suitable reference point within the chamber 1018, so that when the field generator MP passes any given sensor, the position of the field generator MP can be approximated. Draw. In other exemplary embodiments, as described above, the position of the field generator MP can be roughly derived by calculating the period of the output produced by the sensor S. As described above, more accurate position determination of the field generator or platen MP and cart can be obtained by mathematically processing the output of the sensor. Since each of the pressure plates 1022A, 1022B includes the field generator MP, the positions of the respective pressure plates 1022A, 1022B can be individually determined, which allows the pressure plates 1022A, 1022B to be driven together in one direction to move the entire small length in the longitudinal direction of the delivery chamber. The vehicle/device, or platen, is individually driven to elongate or retract the arm carried by the cart 1022C. It should also be noted that, as described above, the position of the cart 1022C relative to the chamber wall 1018S (e.g., the air gap between the wall and the small workshop) can be measured, and thus the position can be adjusted by the controller 1090, which allows the cart to be located at the wall. The predetermined position is to facilitate the precise placement of the substrate within the processing module 1020.

FIG. 11 illustrates another embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus 1010' that is generally similar to apparatus 1010. In this embodiment, the delivery chamber 1018' has two Conveying devices 1122A, 1122B. Conveying devices 1122A, 1122B are substantially identical to device 1022 described above with respect to FIG. As previously described, both conveyors 1122A, 1122B can be supported by a common set of longitudinal rails. The carriage plate corresponding to each device can be driven by the same linear motor. The different drive zones on the linear motor allow for the individual drive of a single platen on each cart, thus allowing the individual carts 1122A, 1122B to be driven separately. It will be appreciated that the arms of the various devices are individually elongated/retracted using a linear motor in a manner similar to that previously described. However, in this case, the substrate transfer devices 1122A, 1122B cannot pass each other in the transfer chamber without using a separate slide system. As described above, each of the platens of the cart may include a field generator or platen MP that interacts with a sensor S that is fixed to the chamber wall 1018S'. In this exemplary embodiment, the processing module 1020 is located along the length of the transfer chamber so that the substrates can be transported sequentially to one or more processing modules for processing, which avoids interference between the transport devices. For example, the processing module for coating can be placed before the heating module, and the cooling module and the etching module are disposed at the end.

However, the transfer chamber 1018' can have additional transport regions 1018A', 1018B' that allow the two transport devices 1122A, 1122B to pass each other (similar to the side rails, bypass rails, or magnetic levitation regions that do not require rails). In this case, other delivery areas may be located above or below the level at which the processing module is located. In this case, each of the transport regions 1018A', 1018B' can have a respective set of sensors S, so that when the cart is in each of the transport regions 1018A', 1018B', the carts 1122A, 1122B can be individually tracked. position. In an alternative embodiment, the two delivery regions 1018A', 1018B' may together have a set of sensors. In this embodiment, the delivery devices 1122A, 1122B have two slide rails 3501. 3502, wherein each of the slide rails corresponds to each of the conveying devices 1122A, 1122B. The rails 3501, 3502 can be disposed, such as by one on top of the other, wherein, by way of example only, one rail can be located on the bottom or side wall of the transport chamber 1018' and the other rail can be located on top of the chamber 1018'. In an alternative embodiment, a linear drive system that simultaneously drives and suspends the cart can be used, in which the cart can move independently in the vertical and horizontal directions, thus allowing the carts to pass independently of each other. Or move the substrate. It should be noted that the sensors S combined with the platen MP can be used to track the respective carts 1122A when the carts pass above/below each other in order to avoid collisions that may damage the transport tool or the substrate carried by the transport tool. , 1122B vertical position.

In all embodiments where power windings are used, these windings can also be used as electrical resistance heaters, for example in the case where it is desired to heat the chamber to vent, for example to eliminate water vapor. In this case, each of the conveying devices can be driven by a dedicated drive motor or a dedicated drive region in which the trolley is located as described above.

Referring now to Figures 14 and 15, a substrate processing apparatus in conjunction with the position measuring system described herein is illustrated herein in accordance with other exemplary embodiments. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, in these embodiments, the delivery chamber is extended to accommodate the added processing module. The apparatus shown in Figure 14 has twelve (12) processing modules 1220 coupled to the transport chamber 1018, and each of the devices 1518A, 1518B (showing two devices) of Figure 15 has twenty-four (24) Processing modules 1501, 1502 connected to the transfer chamber 1018. The number of processing modules shown in these embodiments is merely exemplary, and as previously described, the device can have any other number of processing modules. In these embodiments, the processing module is arranged in a Cartesian seat along the side of the transport chamber. The flag settings, which are similar to those discussed earlier. In these cases, however, the number of columns of processing modules is greatly increased (e.g., the device in Figure 14 has six (6) columns and the devices in Figure 15 have twelve (12) columns). In the embodiment of Figure 14, the EFEM can be removed while the load port is directly mated with the load lock device. The delivery chamber of the apparatus of Figures 14 and 15 has a plurality of delivery devices (i.e., three devices in Figure 14 and six devices in Figure 15) for transporting the substrate between the load lock device and the processing chamber. The number of delivery devices shown is merely exemplary, so more or fewer devices may be used. The delivery device of these embodiments is generally similar to the previously described delivery device, including arms and carts, wherein the multi-dimensional position measurement system described above is used to track the position of the cart and arm extension/retraction. In this case, however, the cart is supported by a zoned linear motor drive that is located on a side wall such as a transport chamber. In an alternative embodiment, the drive can be located at any suitable location in the delivery chamber. The linear motor drive here provides translation of the carriage on two orthogonal axes (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the delivery chamber and the vertical direction of the delivery chamber). Therefore, the conveying devices can move relative to each other in the conveying chamber. The transport chamber may have a "passage" or transport area above/below one or more planes of the processing module, through the "passage" or transport area, such that the transport device is on a prescribed route to avoid the fixed transport device (ie, A substrate that is picked up/released from the processing module) or a transport device that moves in the opposite direction. It is possible to have a substrate transport device having a controller (such as controller 1090) for controlling the movement of a plurality of substrate transport devices.

Still referring to FIG. 15, substrate processing devices 1518A and 1518B herein can be directly mated with tool 1500.

It is recognized from Figures 10, 11 and 14-15 that the delivery chamber can be extended as needed 1018 to penetrate the processing device PF. As can be seen in Figure 15, and as will be described in more detail below: the delivery chamber can be connected and connected to various portions or partitions in the processing device PF, such as a storage chamber, a lithography tool, a metal deposition tool, or any other suitable Tool section. The sections interconnected by the transfer chamber 1018 can also be configured as process sections or processes 1518A, 1518B. Each section has the required tools (eg, photolithography, metal deposition, hot dip, cleaning) to complete the specified process on the semiconductor workpiece. In either case, the transfer chamber, generally referred to as the transfer chamber 1018, has a processing module that is coupled to and communicatively coupled to the various tools in the equipment section as previously described. In order to allow the transfer of semiconductor workpieces between the chamber and the processing module. Thus, the transfer chamber can contain different environmental conditions, such as atmosphere, vacuum, ultra-high vacuum, inert gas, or any other, such ambient conditions throughout the length of the environment of the various processing modules on the transfer chamber that are coupled to the transfer chamber. Thus, the delivery chamber portion 1018P1 within a specified process or section 1018A, 1018B, or within a portion of the section may have an environmental condition (e.g., atmosphere), etc., while another portion of the chamber 1018P2, 1018P3 may have different environmental conditions. As mentioned previously, the on-chamber areas 1018P1, 1018P2, 1018P3 having different environments may be located in different sections of the device, or all located in the same section on the device. Figure 15 shows, for exemplary purposes, three or at least three portions 1018P1, 1018P2, 1018P3 having different environments. The chamber 1018 in this embodiment can be configured with a number of sections that have many different environments as desired. Each of the regions 1518A, 1518B, 1018P1, 1018P2, 1018P3 may have a sensor disposed along the side walls of each of the transmission portions as described above. In alternative embodiments, any combination of the exemplary position measuring systems described herein can be used for delivery Among the parts 1518A, 1518B, 1018P1, 1018P2, 1018P3.

As shown in Figure 15, a delivery device similar to device 1122A (still see Figure 11) is capable of passing through chamber portions 1018P1, 1018P2, 1018P3 having different environments therein. Thus, it can be appreciated from Figure 15 that the transport device 1122A can utilize a single pick to move a semiconductor workpiece from one process or section 1518A of the processing apparatus to a tool having a different process or section 1518B of a different environment. For example, the transport device 1122A can pick up a substrate in the processing module 1501, which can be an atmospheric module, lithography, etching, or any other suitable processing module in the section 1018P1 of the transport chamber 1018. The delivery device 1122A can then be moved from the chamber portion 1018P1 to the portion 1018P3 in the direction indicated by arrow X3 in FIG. In section 1018P3, the transport device 1122A places the substrate into the processing module 1502, which can be any suitable processing module.

It can be appreciated from Figure 15 that the delivery device can be modular while the chamber modules are connected in a desired manner to form the chamber 1018. The module may include an inner wall 1018I similar to the side walls 1018F, 1018R of Figure 10 to separate the regions 1018P1, 1018P2, 1018P3, 1018P4 in the chamber. The inner wall 1018I can include a grooved valve or any other suitable valve that allows one chamber portion 1018P1, 1018P4 to communicate with one or more contiguous regions. The grooved valve 1018V can have dimensions that allow one or more trolleys to pass from one zone 1018P1, 1018P4 through the valve to another zone. In this way, the cart 1122A can be moved to any position throughout the room. The valve can be closed to isolate the chamber portions 1018P1, 1018P2, 1018P3, 1018P4, so that different ones can be made as described above Part of it contains a completely different environment. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the inner wall of the chamber module may be disposed to form the load lock device 1018P4. Load lock device 1018P4 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 15 as an example) may be adapted to be disposed within chamber 1018 and any suitable number of carts 1122A may be held indoors.

Reference is now made to Fig. 16, which shows an arrangement of an exemplary manufacturing apparatus using an automated material transfer system (AMHS). In this exemplary embodiment, the workpiece is conveyed from the hopper 1630 to one or more processing tools 1610 through the AMHS. The AMHS can be combined with one or more transport carts 1625 and a transport rail 1635. The transport rail 1635 can be any suitable transport rail. As described above, the transport rail can include a sensor group S that is spaced apart along the rail. As described above, the transport carriage 1625 can include one or more magnetic pressure plates MP that interact with the sensor group S to provide position measurement of the trolley 1625.

It can be appreciated that the position of an object (e.g., cart 1625 whose position is to be measured or tracked) can be tracked using sensors adjacent to each end of object 1625, so the controller can accommodate multiple objects along the same transport path, these Objects follow each other to avoid contact between objects. For example, field generating elements 105, 620 (see Figures 1A-C and 6) may be disposed at the corners of the cart. In an alternative embodiment, the object 1625 can be tracked using a sensor located on one end of the object 1625, where the length of the object is known. In other alternative embodiments, the field generating elements 105, 620 can be configured at any known location on any object on which the boundaries of the object can be calculated from known locations. Here, the controller can utilize the position of the first end of the object obtained by the position measuring system described herein, and add or subtract the length of the object to determine the total space occupied by the object along the conveying path. the amount. In other embodiments, the field generating element can be placed at any suitable location of the object to be tracked.

It will be appreciated that while the embodiments described herein are described with respect to a linear drive system, embodiments can be adapted for use in a rotary drive. For example, the disclosed embodiments can be used to track the rotational speed and axial position of an object within a cylinder while simultaneously measuring the rotating object and the cylindrical wall in a manner similar to that described herein with respect to the linear drive system. The distance between them.

The positional measurement system provided by the exemplary embodiments described herein is capable of measuring an infinite length along a first axis and simultaneously measuring positions along the second and third axes, the system eliminating transitions between the plurality of sensors. The position measuring system described herein can be combined with any suitable delivery device. While the disclosed embodiments described herein measure two or three axes simultaneously, it should be appreciated that it is capable of combining multiple measurement systems to measure more than three axes. Rather, the embodiments described herein are equally applicable and configurable to measure less than two or three axes. It should also be appreciated that the embodiments disclosed herein may be used alone or in combination. The exemplary embodiment also provides a position measurement system in which position information of an object can be obtained without transferring energy to a moving object, the position information making the positioning system suitable for a moving object such as a vacuum application. Position and clearance measurements are also measured from a fixed position on the moving object, which facilitates motion control.

It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be used alone or in any suitable combination of embodiments. It should also be understood that the above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative. Various alternatives and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the embodiments. Therefore, this embodiment is intended to include All options, modifications and variations within the scope of the patent application.

100‧‧‧ sensor

101‧‧‧Primary winding

102‧‧‧Secondary winding

103‧‧‧ iron core

104‧‧‧Active objects

105‧‧‧ components

107, 108‧‧‧ voltage busbar

109‧‧‧Transformers

150‧‧‧iron components

FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 1B illustrates a top view of the sensor of FIG. 1A according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 1C illustrates a schematic diagram of a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2A shows a graph of an output signal generated by a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2B shows a graph illustrating a relationship between a sensor output and an air gap according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5A shows a graph of an output signal generated by a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 5B shows a graph illustrating a relationship between a sensor output and an air gap according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a simplified diagram of a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows another schematic diagram of a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8A shows a graph of an output signal generated by a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8B shows a graph illustrating a relationship between a sensor output and an air gap according to the present exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 9A illustrates an output generated by a sensor according to the present exemplary embodiment Signal chart.

9B shows a diagram illustrating a relationship between a sensor output and an air gap according to the present exemplary embodiment; and FIGS. 10-16 illustrate schematic views of a processing apparatus incorporating features of the present exemplary embodiment.

300-311‧‧‧Winding device

301S, 302S‧‧‧ secondary winding

Claims (33)

A delivery device comprising: a controller; a delivery tool in communication with the controller and having a movable portion and a delivery channel; and a multi-dimensional position measuring device in communication with the controller, the multi-dimensional position measuring device comprising a plurality of transformers and at least one component mounted to the movable portion; wherein the multi-dimensional position measuring device is disposed to turn on at least one of the locations when the at least one component passes through a position adjacent to the at least one of the plurality of transformers a loop of a plurality of transformers; the controller being configured to simultaneously calculate a multi-dimensional position of the moving object based on an output of the at least one of the plurality of transformers, wherein the multi-dimensional position comprises between the active portion and the plurality of transformers gap. The conveying apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of transformers comprises a primary winding and a secondary winding wound on a common core. The delivery device of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a multi-dimensional position of the active object based on a voltage induced in the secondary winding. The conveying device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transformers are continuously arranged along the first axis, and the secondary windings of each of the plurality of transformers are connected to the voltage busbar, so the secondary winding of the continuous transformer has an alternating polarity. The conveying device of claim 4, wherein the voltage busbar The first and second voltage bus bars are included, the secondary winding connected to the first voltage busbar generates a first output signal, and the secondary winding connected to the second voltage busbar is generated by the first signal phase Move the resulting second signal. The delivery device of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to determine a position of the movable object along the first axis and the second axis based on the first and second output signals. The conveying device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transformers are continuously arranged along a first axis and a third axis, and a secondary winding of the plurality of transformers is connected to the voltage busbar, so along the first and the The secondary winding of a three-axis continuous transformer has alternating polarity. The conveying device of claim 7, wherein the voltage busbar includes first, second, third, and fourth voltage busbars, and the secondary windings connected to the first and third voltage busbars generate a second And a second output signal, the secondary windings connected to the second and fourth voltage busbars generate second and fourth output signals, the second output signals being phase shifted by the first output signal, the The four output signals are obtained by phase shifting of the third output signal. The delivery device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to determine a position of the moving object along the first and second axes based on the first and second output signals, and based on the third and A four output signal determines the position of the moving object along the third axis. The delivery device of claim 9, wherein the first and third axes define a plane of motion of the moving object and the second axis is perpendicular to the plane of motion. The conveying device of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously determine a three-dimensional position of the moving object, wherein the three-dimensional position comprises a planar position and air between the moving object and the plurality of transformers gap. A position measuring system comprising: a controller; a conveying tool in communication with the controller and having a movable portion and a conveying passage; and a multi-dimensional position measuring device communicating with the controller, the multi-dimensional position measuring device An at least one component and a plurality of sensing elements attached to the movable portion are included; the sensing element is configured to generate a response to the at least one when the at least one component moves in proximity to the at least one of the plurality of sensing elements An output signal of the component; wherein the controller is configured to calculate a multi-dimensional position of the active object based on the at least one of the plurality of sensing elements, wherein the multi-dimensional position comprises a gap between the active portion and the plurality of sensing elements. The position measuring system of claim 12, wherein the sensing element comprises a Hall effect sensor, and the at least one element attached to the movable portion comprises at least one magnet. The position measuring system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensing elements comprise a transformer, wherein each transformer comprises a primary winding and a secondary winding wound on a common core. The position measuring system of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the moving object based on a voltage induced in the secondary winding Multidimensional position. The position measuring system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensing elements are continuously arranged along a first axis, and the secondary windings of each of the plurality of sensing elements are connected to a voltage busbar, so the secondary of the continuous sensing element The windings have alternating polarity. The position measuring system of claim 16, wherein the voltage bus bar includes first and second voltage bus bars, and a secondary winding connected to the first voltage bus bar generates a first output signal, The secondary winding connected to the two voltage busbars produces a second signal that is phase shifted from the first signal. The position measuring system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to determine a position of the movable object along the first axis and the second axis based on the first and second output signals. The position measuring system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensing elements are continuously arranged along the first axis and the third axis, and the secondary windings of the plurality of sensing elements are connected to the voltage busbar, so The secondary windings of the continuous inductive elements of the first and third axes have alternating polarities. The position measuring system of claim 19, wherein the voltage busbar includes first, second, third, and fourth voltage busbars, and secondary windings connected to the first and third voltage busbars are generated First and third output signals, a secondary winding coupled to the second and fourth voltage busses, generating second and fourth output signals, the second output signal being phase shifted by a first output signal, The fourth output signal is obtained by phase shifting of the third output signal. The position measuring system of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to determine a position of the moving object along the first and second axes based on the first and second output signals, and based on the third sum A fourth output signal determines a position of the moving object along a third axis. The position measuring system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to simultaneously determine a three-dimensional position of the moving object, wherein the three-dimensional position comprises a planar position and the movable object and the plurality of sensing elements Air gap. A method for measuring position and clearance, comprising: generating at least one in response to the at least one activity in at least a portion of the at least one inductive element when the at least one movable element is moved to a position adjacent to the at least one inductive element An output signal of the component; and calculating a multi-dimensional position of the active object attached to the movable component based on the at least one output signal of the at least one inductive component; wherein the multi-dimensional location includes the active object and the at least A gap between the sensing elements. A method for measuring a position and a gap as described in claim 23, wherein calculating the multi-dimensional position comprises calculating a planar position of the moving object and an air gap between the moving object and the at least one inductive element. A method for measuring position and gap as recited in claim 23, wherein inducing the at least one output signal comprises inducing an output signal in the at least one Hall effect sensor. A method for measuring a position and a gap as described in claim 23, Wherein the at least one inductive element comprises a primary winding and a secondary winding wound on a common core, the inducing at least one output signal comprising inducing a signal in the secondary winding. A method for measuring position and gap as described in claim 26, wherein calculating the multi-dimensional position comprises calculating the three-dimensional position of the moving object based on a voltage induced in the second secondary winding. The method for measuring a position and a gap according to claim 23, further comprising continuously arranging the at least one inductive element along a first axis, the secondary winding of each of the at least one inductive element being connected to the voltage busbar, so continuous The secondary winding of the inductive element has an alternating polarity. The method for measuring a position and a gap as described in claim 28, wherein the voltage bus bar includes first and second voltage bus bars, and a winding connected to the first voltage bus bar generates a first output signal, and The secondary winding connected to the second voltage busbar generates a second signal obtained by phase shifting from the first signal. The method for measuring position and gap of claim 29, wherein calculating the multi-dimensional position comprises determining a position of the moving object along a first axis and a second axis based on the first and second output signals. A method for measuring a position and a gap according to claim 23, comprising continuously arranging said at least one inductive element along a first axis and a third axis, said secondary winding of each of said at least one inductive element being connected to a voltage busbar Therefore, the secondary windings of the continuous inductive elements along the first and third axes have alternating polarities. A method for measuring a position and a gap as described in claim 31, Wherein the voltage bus bar includes first, second, third, and fourth voltage bus bars, and the secondary windings connected to the first and third voltage bus bars generate first and third output signals, Secondary windings connected to the second and fourth voltage busbars generate second and fourth output signals, said second output signal being phase shifted by a first output signal, said fourth output signal being derived by said third output signal The phase shift is obtained. A method for measuring a position and a gap as described in claim 32, wherein calculating the multi-dimensional position comprises determining a position of the moving object along the first and second axes based on the first and second output signals, and based on The third and fourth output signals determine a position of the moving object along a third axis.