Method and precision nanopositioning apparatus with compact vertical and horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stages for implementing enhanced nanopositioning performance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10663040-B2
Application number	US-201715662086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2017
Priority date	Jul 27, 2017
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

An enhanced method and precision nanopositioning apparatus for implementing enhanced nanopositioning performance is provided. The nanopositioning apparatus includes a vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage and a horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage. The vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage includes a stage base, a symmetrically configured flexure linear guiding mechanism with precision motion enhancement structure, and a stage carriage. The horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage is mounted on the stage carriage of the vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage, and includes a middle-bar relative position control mechanism to enhance the stiffness of a flexure linear guiding mechanism.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus for implementing enhanced nanopositioning performance comprising:
a vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage;
a horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage mounted on said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage;
said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage includes a stage base, a symmetrically configured flexure linear guiding mechanism with precision motion enhancement structure, and a stage carriage;
said horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage includes a flexure linear guiding mechanism, and a middle-bar relative position control mechanism to enhance the stiffness of said flexure linear guiding mechanism.

2. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said symmetrically configured flexure linear guiding mechanism includes a symmetric structure with four vertical guiding panels.

3. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein each guiding panel includes two sets of the deformation-compensated flexural-pivots-based linear guiding mechanism.

4. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 3 , wherein said guiding panels are mounted vertically between the stage base and the stage carriage to provide a precision frictionless vertical motion guiding.

5. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein a total of eight sets of flexural guiding mechanisms are applied on said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage.

6. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said precision motion enhancement structure for said symmetrically configured linear guiding structure includes a middle-bar motion synchronizing linkage.

7. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 6 , wherein said weak-link mechanisms compensate transversal relative motions between middle-bars of said middle-bar motion synchronizing linkage.

8. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein flexure linear guiding mechanism of said horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage includes three sets of deformation-compensated flexural linear guiding mechanisms.

9. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein two sets of said three sets of linear guiding mechanisms are mounted vertically between a stage base and a stage carriage.

10. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein one set of said three sets of linear guiding mechanisms links a stage base and a stage carriage horizontally.

11. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein synchronizing linkages between U-shaped middle bars of said three sets of linear guiding mechanisms integrate said three sets of linear guiding mechanisms into a united guiding system.

12. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage enables nanometer scale positioning resolution with structural stability and repeatability in nanometer scale.

13. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 12 , wherein said horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage is a compact structure having kilograms-level load capacity and scalability.

14. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage enables enhanced performance nanometer scale positioning resolution with structural stability and repeatability in nanometer scale.

15. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 14 , wherein said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage is a compact structure having kilograms-level load capacity and scalability.

16. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage includes a microstep stepper motor and a decoupled driving mechanism.

17. The enhanced precision nanopositioning apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage includes a microstep stepper motor and a decoupled driving mechanism.

18. An enhanced precision nanopositioning method for implementing enhanced nanopositioning performance comprising:
providing a vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage;
mounting a horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage mounted on said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage;
providing said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage with a stage base, a symmetrically configured flexure linear guiding mechanism with precision motion enhancement structure, and a stage carriage;
providing said horizontal linear nanopositioning flexure stage with a flexure linear guiding mechanism, and a middle-bar relative position control mechanism to enhance the stiffness of said flexure linear guiding mechanism.

19. The enhanced precision nanopositioning method as recited in claim 18 , includes providing said vertical linear nanopositioning flexure stage with multiple sets of flexural guiding mechanisms, and a middle-bar relative position control mechanism including a middle-bar motion synchronizing linkage.

20. The enhanced precision nanopositioning method as recited in claim 19 , includes providing weak-link mechanisms applied to said middle-bar motion synchronizing linkage.

Assignees

• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• Shu Deming
• Lai Barry
• Kearney Steven P
• Anton Jayson W
• Liu Wenjun
• Maser Jorg M
• Roehrig Christian
• Tischler Jonathan Z

Classifications

• F16H21/04 Primary

  Guiding mechanisms, e.g. for straight-line guidance · CPC title

• H02N2/043

  Mechanical transmission means, e.g. for stroke amplification · CPC title

• H02N2/028 Primary

  along multiple or arbitrary translation directions, e.g. XYZ stages · CPC title