NPS6D200—A Long Range Nanopositioning Stage with 6D Closed Loop Control

Abstract

This work presents the new development of a nanopositioning machine for a large operating range. The machine, called NPS6D200, provides Ø200 mm planar and 25 mm vertical travel range and applies a 6D closed loop control with all drive forces applied directly to the same moving part. The stage architecture evolves from an integrated planar direct drive which is extended by high precision vertical positioning capability. The setup of the machine and the characteristics of the different subsystems are presented together with investigations into the positioning performance that is achieved with the NPS6D200. In constant setpoint operation as well as in synchronized multiaxial motion tasks over three orders of magnitude, the system shows servo errors only in the low nanometer range and proves suitable as positioning platform for nanoscience applications.