PI (Physik Instrumente) introduced several magnetic levitation motion technology demonstrators at SEMICON West 2026. The platforms combine contact-free positioning with active control of all six degrees of freedom, eliminating mechanical bearing contact, lubrication, and bearing wear. Target applications include advanced packaging and hybrid bonding, wafer inspection, and high-resolution surface metrology.
PI Introduces New 6-DOF MagLev Systems at SEMICON West 2026. Image Credit: PI (Physik Instrumente) LP
Long-Travel Linear Stage with Five Auxiliary Axes
The linear MagLev stage provides 400 mm of travel in the primary axis, combined with auxiliary motion of 400 µm in Y and Z and angular motion of 1mrad in θX/θY and 2 mrad in θZ. Active control of all six degrees of freedom enables precise positioning as well as force-controlled bonding with forces exceeding 100 N. Configurations support acceleration up to 6g.
Rotary Stage with Five Auxiliary Axes
The rotary MagLev platform combines continuous rotation with active control of the remaining degrees of freedom, including height and tip/tilt. This allows the system to actively maintain positioning and alignment during wafer inspection and metrology processes.
AFM XY Scanner with Four Auxiliary Axes
Designed for atomic force microscopy and other high-resolution surface measurement applications, the MagLev scanner provides X/Y positioning resolution of 50 picometers across scan ranges up to 50 mm.
Active 6-Axis Control
Magnetic levitation nanopositioning systems replace mechanical bearings with actively controlled magnetic fields, eliminating friction, wear, lubrication, and bearing-related particle generation. Active six-axis control also allows positioning and alignment errors to be corrected electronically within a single motion platform, reducing the need to stack multiple mechanical positioning stages.
Best Poster Session Award at SEMICON West 2026
PI’s MagLev and active wafer chuck technologies were also presented and received the best poster award at the SEMICON West Test Vision Poster Session, under the title “MagLev Platforms and Active Wafer Chuck Technology for Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing.” The work addresses next-generation hybrid bonding, inspection, and metrology applications where cleanliness, positioning accuracy, and throughput are increasingly important.
Applications and Industries Served
Semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging and hybrid bonding, wafer inspection, high-resolution surface metrology, optics and photonics.