• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.63-72
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• 2008

A new method for the electrostatic suspension of disk-shaped objects is proposed which is based on a time-optimal control scheme and deploys only high-voltage power supplies that can deliver dc voltages of positive and/or negative polarity. This method possesses the unique feature that no high-voltage amplifiers are needed which leads to a remarkable system simplification and objects can be suspended stably even in vacuum environment. Using this scheme, an aluminium disk used in a 3.5-inch HDD was suspended stably at an airgap of 0.3mm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.263-264
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• 2006

A new method for the electrostatic suspension of disk-shaped objects is proposed which is based on a time-optimal control scheme and deploys only high-voltage power supplies that can deliver do voltages of positive and/or negative polarity. This method possesses the unique feature that no high-voltage amplifiers are needed which leads to a remarkable system simplification and objects can be suspended stably even in vacuum environment. Using this scheme, an Aluminium disk employed in a 3.5-inch HDD was suspended stably at an airgap of 0.3mm.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.71-79
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• 2008

In the manufacture of flat panel display devices, there is a strong demand for contactless glass panel handling devices that can manipulate a glass panel without contaminating or damaging it. To fulfill this requirement, an electrostatic suspension device far glass panels where the glass panel is supported by electrostatic forces without any mechanical contact is proposed. To implement the system with low cost and compactness, switched-voltage control scheme that is based on the relay feedback control is utilized. Relay feedback control method deploys only a single high-voltage power supply that can deliver a DC voltage of positive and/or negative polarity and thus high voltage amplifiers that are costly and bulky are not needed any more. It is shown that despite the inherent limit cycle property of the relay feedback based control, an excellent performance in vibration suppression is attained due to the presence of a relatively large squeeze film damping originating from the electrodes and levitated object. Using this scheme, a $100{\times}100mm^2$ glass panel was levitated stably with airgap variation decreasing down to $1\;{\mu}m$ at an airgap of $100\;{\mu}m$.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.969-974
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• 2003

A simple and cost-effective method for the electrostatic suspension of thin plates like silicon wafers is proposed which is based on a switched voltage control scheme. It operates according to a relay feedback control and deploys only a single high-voltage power supply that can deliver a dc voltage of positive and/or negative polarity. This method possesses the unique feature that no high-voltage amplifiers are needed which leads to a remarkable system simplification relative to conventional methods. It is shown that despite the inherent limit cycle property of the relay feedback based control, an excellent performance in vibration suppression is attained due to the presence of a relatively large squeeze film damping origination from the air between the electrodes and levitated object. Using this scheme, a 4-inch silicon wafer was levitated stably with airgap variation decreasing down to 1 $\mu\textrm{m}$ at an airgap of 100 $\mu\textrm{m}$

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.60-69
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• 2005

In electrostatic suspension system of thin plates like a silicon wafer or an aluminum disk for hard disk applications, the lateral restoring force exerted on a suspended object plays an important role since the lateral motion of the suspended object, owing to the inherently stable restoring forces, can be passively stabilized without any active control of it. This paper reports about the measurement apparatus of the lateral restoring force originating from a relative translation of the suspended object with respect to the electrodes-for-suspension. An approximate calculation of the lateral force in disk-shaped objects, the structure of the measurement apparatus, a measurement method, stabilization condition and the guideline in designing the measurement apparatus are described. Experimental results obtained by using a 3.5-inch aluminum disk as a suspended object are presented as well in order to assess the magnitude of lateral force and stiffness, and also verify the usefulness of the measurement apparatus.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.10 s.175
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• pp.56-64
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• 2005

A simple and cost-effective method for the electrostatic suspension of thin plates like silicon wafers is proposed which is based on a switched voltage control scheme. It operates according to a relay feedback control and deploys only a single high-voltage power supply that can deliver a DC voltage of positive and/or negative polarity. This method possesses the unique feature that no high-voltage amplifiers are needed which leads to a remarkable system simplification relative to conventional methods. It is shown that despite the inherent limit cycle property of the relay feedback based control, an excellent performance in vibration suppression is attained due to the presence of a relatively large squeeze film damping origination from the air between the electrodes and levitated object. Using this scheme, a 4-inch silicon wafer was levitated stably with airgap variation decreasing down to $1 {\mu}m$ at an airgap of $100{\mu}m$.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.6 s.183
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• pp.104-110
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• 2006

A design and control of electrostatic suspension system for flexible objects is presented. A number of electrode pairs of which the number depends on the object flexibility are positioned above the object and the voltages applied to each electrode pair are controlled, independently on the others, on the basis of the gap length. To implement the system with low cost and compactness, switched-voltage control scheme that is based on the relay feedback control is utilized. Relay feedback control method deploys only a single high-voltage power supply that can deliver a DC voltage of positive and/or negative polarity and thus high voltage amplifiers that are costly and bulky are not needed any more. It is shown that despite the inherent limit cycle property of the relay feedback based control, an excellent performance in vibration suppression is attained due to the presence of a relatively large squeeze film damping originating from the electrodes and levitated object. Employing fourteen electrode pairs, a thin aluminum plate with a thickness of 0.1 mm has been suspended at a gap length of 0.75mm.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 1996.10a
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• pp.311-314
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• 1996

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.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.22 no.12 s.177
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• pp.34-41
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• 2005

There is a strong demand fur the contactless transportation device fur a hard disk and silicon wafer without contaminating and damaging them. To fulfill this requirements, A transportation device fur them has been proposed. But the device needs many of costly displacement sensors positioned along the transportation interval and possesses a very complicated controller and driving scheme. To overcome those kinds of drawback, in this paper, we present a very simple and cost-effective transportation device which only consists of a linear guide, very simple electrostatic suspension system and driving circuit of stepping motor. The principle of stable suspension by relay feedback control, derivation of lateral restoring force, the design of transportation system are described, fellowed by the experimental system. Experimental results show that a 3.5-inch hard disk has been transported with a speed of approximately 20mm/s while being suspended stably at a gap of 0.25mm.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.626-629
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• 1997

In this study, position optimization of insulation rods and suspension rods in discharge electrode frame of electrostatic precipitator(EP) is performed using finite element analysis(FEA). The object of the optimization is to minimize the difference of altitudes in unevenly sagged horizontal structure and to regulate the size of materials within the allowable stress bounds. Uppermost horizontal channel of discharge electrode frame is highly stressed and uniformity of lowest horizontal angle depends on the position of rods. Ten types of frame are analyzed and one recommended model is presented.