Linear Nanopositioning Stages - What are They Used For?
Linear nanopositioning stages are used for nanometer-level motion in microscopy, semiconductor inspection, photonics alignment, surface metrology, precision scanning, biotechnology, microassembly, and laser processing. They provide controlled linear travel with extremely high resolution, guiding accuracy, and repeatability, enabling precise positioning of samples, optics, sensors, probes, wafers, and miniature components.
Linear nanopositioning stages provide motion with resolution down to and below 1 nanometer. PI offers flexure-guided piezo stages for the highest guiding precision and fastest response, piezo motor stages for longer travel ranges, hybrid positioning systems and air bearing slides for frictionless, wear-free motion over larger distances. Air bearing linear slides and air bearing XY tables are also available for precision scanning and alignment.
A-142 Compact Air Bearing Linear Nanopositioning Slide with Linear Motor
- Ideal for alignment, imaging and scanning
- 10 mm travel with 5 nm sensor resolution
- Zero wear, zero maintenance and no particle generation
- Integrated voice-coil linear motor with high dynamics
- XY and XYZ combinations available
- More compact air bearing nanopositioning slides
The A-142 air bearing linear slide provides compact precision motion for semiconductor, medical, photonics, imaging and scanning applications. The integrated voice-coil linear motor supports 2 g acceleration and velocities up to 450 mm/sec.
Video: 3-Axis Air Bearing Linear Stage for Fast Scanning and Alignment
A 3-axis version of the A-142 air bearing linear slide is designed for fast multi-axis scanning and alignment.
Miniature Nanopositioning Stage, up to 33 mm Travel, 10 nm Resolution
- Stick-slip piezo drive
- Travel from 13 mm to 33 mm
- Open-loop and closed-loop designs
- Rotation stages also available
These miniature piezo-motor stages provide long travel ranges at low cost. They are based on a stick-slip piezoelectric motor drive and can be operated open loop or closed loop, with linear encoders providing 1 nanometer resolution.
Q-545 Compact Piezo Motorized Nanopositioning Stage, 25 mm Travel
- Up to 25 mm travel
- PIShift piezo motor, self-locking at rest
- No heat generation and no servo dither at rest
- Compact footprint and low profile
- High-resolution linear encoder, 2 nanometer resolution
This PIShift piezo motor-driven nanopositioning stage combines long travel, compact mechanics and high resolution.
N-565 Piezo-Motor-Driven Stage, 13 to 52 mm Travel
- Interferometric encoder with 0.5 nanometer resolution
- Self-clamping at rest for high positional stability
- No heat generation and no servo jitter at rest
- Travel ranges of 13, 26 and 52 mm
- Very low profile and excellent guiding accuracy
- Maximum velocity: 10 mm/sec
This low-profile nanopositioning stage is driven by a self-clamping PiezoWalk type linear motor. An interferometric encoder provides sub-nanometer resolution.
High-Precision Linear Motor Stages, 7 to 1000 mm Travel, Up to 0.5 Nanometer Resolution
- Ironless, non-cogging direct-drive motor
- Up to 3m/sec max. velocity
- Reliable execution of nanometer-size increments
- Fast settling to nanometer precision
- Absolute encoder options
- Sub-nanometer encoder option
- Excellent velocity control
These linear motor-driven nanopositioning stages integrate non-contact motors and non-contact absolute measuring encoders for fast, precise and wear-free linear motion.
Video: Vertical Linear Nanopositioning Stages for Fast Focusing
Vertical nanopositioning stages with piezo and voice-coil motors are used for fast focusing, microscopy, surface metrology and semiconductor test.
PIHera Piezo Flexure-Guided Nanopositioning Stage Family, 50 µm to 1.8 mm
- Positioning ranges from 50 to 1800 microns
- Resolution to 0.1 nanometer
- Direct metrology and capacitive feedback for high stability and linearity
- Frictionless, high-precision flexure guiding system
- X, XY, Z and XYZ versions
- Vacuum versions available
PIHera piezo linear positioning systems combine compact mechanics, rapid response and high guiding precision over unusually long travel ranges for flexure-guided piezo stages.
P-753 LISA Linear Piezo Stage & Piezo Actuator, to 38 µm
- 0.05 nanometer resolution and rapid response
- Can be used as both flexure stage and guided actuator
- Capacitive feedback for high linearity and long-term stability
- Frictionless precision flexure system for ultra-straight motion
- Vacuum and nonmagnetic versions available
P-753 LISA linear stages and actuators are high-speed piezo nanopositioners for precision positioning, scanning and actuator applications.
P-752 High Precision Nanopositioning Flexure Stage, to 35 µm
- 0.1 nanometer resolution and millisecond response
- Travel to 35 microns
- Direct metrology and capacitive feedback
- Ultra-straight motion with flexure guidance
- Long-life PICMA piezo actuators
P-752 piezo flexure nanopositioning systems provide fast settling, extreme straightness / flatness and very low tip / tilt errors. Typical applications include scanning probe microscopy, high-speed dithering and disk drive testing.
P-750 High-Load Piezo Nanopositioning Stage, 10 kg Load, 75 µm
- 10 kg load capacity
- 1 nanometer lateral guiding precision
- Resolution below 1 nanometer
- 75 microns positioning range
- Direct metrology and capacitive feedback
- Frictionless precision flexure guiding system
The P-750 combines high load capacity with nanometer precision and fast piezo response for demanding linear nanopositioning tasks.
PiezoMove Flextensional Amplified Actuators for OEMs
- Many models in three mechanical designs
- Positioning ranges to 1 mm
- Nanometer resolution; closed-loop versions available
- Frictionless, high-precision flexure guiding system
- Custom non-magnetic, longer-travel or faster-response designs available
These lever-amplified flextensional piezo actuators provide large positioning ranges, fast response and high accuracy in a compact package for optics, medical, biotech, microfluidics and OEM applications.
P-611.1 Cost-Effective Nanopositioning Stage
- Cost-effective design with strain sensors
- Small 44 x 44 mm footprint
- Positioning range to 120 microns
- Resolution to 0.2 nanometers
- Cost-effective controllers available
- X, XY, XZ, XYZ and Z versions
P-611.1 piezo flexure nanopositioning stages provide up to 120 microns travel with sub-nanometer resolution in compact 1- to 3-axis configurations.
PIFOC Fast Objective Focusing Piezo Nanopositioning Vertical Stage
- Compact, lightweight design
- Long positioning ranges to 800 µm
- Ideal for fast autofocus applications
- Clear aperture up to 29 mm
- Capacitive direct-measuring feedback
- Sub-nanometer resolution
PIFOC objective focusing stages provide fast Z motion for microscopy, imaging and optical-axis adjustment.
High-Dynamics, High-Resolution Piezo Phase Shifters
- High resonant frequency for sub-millisecond dynamics
- Sub-nanometer resolution; up to 15 microns positioning range
- Z-tip-tilt option
- Large aperture available
Phase shifters are very fast piezo systems based on tripod drive. They provide sub-nanometer positioning range with angstrom-size step resolution and sub-millisecond response dynamics.
