Improved electrode pattern design for lateral force increase in electrostatic levitation system

In contactless disk handling systems based on electrostatic suspension in which the stator is to be transferred, the limited stiffness in lateral direction severely restricts the achievable translational acceleration. In existing stator electrode pattern designs, the magnitude of the lateral force is determined by the magnitude of the control voltages which are applied to the individual electrodes to levitate the disk stably. As a result, the lateral force cannot be set arbitrarily. A new stator electrode pattern is presented for the electrostatic levitation of disk-shaped objects, in particular silicon wafers and aluminum hard disks, which allows the lateral forces to be controlled independently from the levitation voltages. Therefore, greater lateral forces can be obtained, compared with the existing stator designs. Experimental results will be presented for a 4-inch silicon wafer that clearly reveal the increased lateral stiffness by using the proposed stator electrode compared to the conventional electrode pattern.