Micropositioning or Nanopositioning

Micropositioning refers to mechanical movements with positioning accuracy and resolution in the micron or sub-micron range. Nanopositioning refers to positioning with nanometer or sub-nanometer resolution.

Design rules for motion systems with millimeter or sub-millimeter resolution do not always apply for the micron and sub-micron range. Resolution in the sub-micron realm cannot always be increased by simple means such as reducing the pitch of a leadscrew or increasing the gear ratio of motor/ gearhead unit. Stiction/friction, play, backlash, wind up effects, tilt, temperature effects, etc. will also limit accuracy and resolution. Sub-micron positioning systems require a great deal of attention in the design, manufacturing and selection of materials.

PI has more than 25 years experience in designing micropositioning and nanopositioning equipment for a wide range of applications. The following pages show a variety of linear, rotation and tilting stages driven by piezo actuators, closed loop DC servo motors, stepper motors, ballscrews, leadscrews and manual micrometer drives. Positioning systems to suit almost any application can be created with combination of these stages.

Quality Management at PI

PI’s capabilities include a state-of-the-art vibration isolated and 0.1 degree temperature controlled sub-nanometer metrology lab to certify the performance of our products. Interferometers, auto collimators and several other ultra-high resolution metrology systems are employed to measure the Guiding and Position Accuracy of our micropositioning and nanopositioning products.