(Nanowerk News) PI, a global leader in motion control and nanopositioning systems, offers an ultra-low-profile Z-Tip-Tilt stage designed for demanding alignment applications in optics, semiconductors, precision assembly, and photonics.
Based on air bearings and linear motors, the stage is wear-free, maintenance-free, and cleanroom compatible.
High speed is ensured by 3-phase linear motors, while high resolution and precision are provided by closed-loop operation with linear encoders (1 nm resolution) for direct position feedback. The direct-drive design, free of drive screws and gears, enables high dynamics with acceleration up to 1g, high speed, and outstanding positional repeatability with zero backlash. The 10-inch diameter platform supports a high load capacity of 18 lbs. The compact design provides 5 mm of Z-travel and a rotation range of 2° for tilt axes.
Low Profile Enabled by Parallel-Kinematics Design
The parallel-kinematics, integrated design with only one moving platform significantly reduces height, center of gravity, and inertia — ideal for high-dynamic applications. The single-platform design also eliminates the accumulation of errors commonly seen in Z-Tip-Tilt systems based on three individual modules.
5-Axis and 6-Axis Combinations
The A-523 Z-Tip-Tilt stage can be paired with a 2-axis planar air-bearing stage to provide 5-axis precision motion for semiconductor and laser processing automation. A 6DOF combination with the low-profile A-361 XYθz stage is also available.
Example of a 5-Axis high-precision stage based on the A-523 Z-Tip-Tilt and the A-311 planar XY stage
The A-523 three-axis air-bearing stage is ideal for high-precision alignment automation tasks, such as optics testing and positioning, wafer inspection, fiber positioning, flat-screen inspection, lens alignment, maskless lithography, and µ-LED manufacturing.
