Feb 28 2008
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P., a leading manufacturer of nanopositioning and precision motion-control equipment semiconductor and photonics applications, has extended its PIHera® family of flexure-guided piezo nanopositioning stages, now offering record travel ranges to 1.8 mm.
Nanopositioning Stages
New Stages Capture 200X Larger Areas than Conventional Stages
These precision closed-loop flexure-guided stages can be used for scanning probe applications (surface metrology) and static positioning. Due to the long travel ranges they can scan areas more than 200 times larger than conventional piezo stages with typical ranges of 100x100 µm. Most PIHera® stages provide sub-nanometer resolution and even the 1.8 mm versions achieve 3 nm resolution in closed-loop operation. The compact size is achieved with a new, friction-free and extremely stiff flexure system, which also provides fast response and excellent guiding accuracy. Trajectory precision is in the low-nanometer range. High acceleration forces are provided by patented, long-life multilayer piezoelectric linear actuators. The ability to control motion with millisecond responsiveness and nanometer precision over long travel ranges makes PIHera® stages ideal for measuring and QA applications.
Capacitive Feedback Offers Greater Motion Linearity
The stages are equipped with non-contact capacitive-sensors and provide extremely linear motion with up to 99.98% accuracy and effective resolution in the sub-nanometer range. PI capacitive sensors are absolute-measuring, direct-metrology devices that boast very high bandwidth and exhibit no periodic errors.
Typical Applications
Surface Metrology, Quality Assurance, Scanning Probe Microscopy, Nanometrology, Interferometry, Nanopositioning, Nano-Alignment / Semiconductor Technology
Features & Advantages
- No Wear & Tear: Flexures, Actuators and Sensors are Maintenance-Free
- Longer Lifetime with Patented, Ceramic-Encapsulated Piezo Actuators
- X, XY, Z and XYZ Versions Available
- 50 to 1800 µm Travel Ranges, Nanometer Resolution
- Closed-Loop Digital & Analog Control for Up to 99.98 % Position Accuracy
- Vacuum-Compatible Versions
- Stiff and Compact Design for Millisecond Responsiveness
- Frictionless, Maintenance-Free, Precision Flexure Guiding System
- Direct-Metrology Sensors for Faster Servo Response
Flexible Controllers: High Speed, Digital and Analog Control
A variety of ultra-low-noise controllers with both digital and analog input provide fast communications and come with a wide selection of software tools.