Motion control and nanopositioning systems developer PI 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, resolution and load capacity

High speed is ensured by three-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.

Source: PI

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.

Five axis and six axis combinations

The A-523 Z-Tip-Tilt stage can be paired with a two axis planar air-bearing stage to provide five axis precision motion for semiconductor and laser processing automation. A 6DOF combination with the low-profile A-361 XYθz stage is also available.

Applications

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.

Industries served

Optics, photonics, semiconductors and precision assembly automation