Author: Scott Jordan, Brian Lula and Stefan Vorndran
Friday, May 31, 2019
PI (Physik Instrumente) LP, Motion Control, Air Bearings, Piezo MechanicsNanopositioning mechanisms are key to progress in fields as diverse as materials science, genomics, photonics, defense, biophysics, and semiconductors. A nanopositioning mechanism is defined as a positioning device capable of nanometer or sub-nanometer resolution. There are several types of nanopositioners; the article covers several new designs, including miniature inertia motors, parallel kinematics, voice-coil drives, frictionless air bearing stages, and piezo-driven, flexure guided stages equipped with direct metrology feedback. The pace of innovation in recent years has been blistering.