The FMPA Fast Multichannel Photonics Alignment Engine from Physik Instrumente LP has been named on the Top 100 most technologically significant analytical/test products in the 2016 R&D Awards.

The device is an advanced alignment system based on a specialized digital motion controller with embedded advanced alignment and tracking functionality, as well as a hybrid precision scanning and tracking mechanism, combining the advantages of piezoelectric on servo-motorized drives.

Test and packaging of silicon photonics elements require nanoscale alignments that cannot be performed using visual or mechanical references. Physik Instrumente integrates its high-throughput piezo nanopositioning technologies and ultra-precision motion control with novel algorithms.