Flexure guided piezoelectric positioning stage
1000 µm DSM

A manufacturer of metrology/inspection tooling needed a compact, stiff stage for the precision positioning of semiconductor wafers in a light vacuum environment. DSM's ZSA-1000 was designed to provide +/- 500 microns of displacement in a stage height of one inch. Flexure-based, parallel arms provide a wide stance for motion stability that eliminates the need for additional guiding rails. The stage also features an optional 28 mm diameter through-hole for tooling or optical access. DSM developed an OEM design version of a linear piezo amplifier to provide servo control of the stage's motion.
A closed-loop revision of the 1 mm Z-stage incorporated a capacitive probe and was controlled with 20 nm position stability using DSM's SA-100 servo amplifier. The stage was used by a customer in the semiconductor industry to provide scans with very stable velocities throughout the stage's 1 mm displacement range.