Customized Nanopositioning Solutions
20 years ago, attocube developed the first ever, commercial piezoelectric nanopositioner for cryogenic use. This has enabled a multitude of novel experiments and widened the possibilities of researchers around the world. Since then attocube tackled some of the other well-known positioning issues facing the scientific community as well as industrial application requirements.
These efforts result in a broad portfolio, with positioners designed to handle extreme environments; small enough to fit on a tip of a finger, to highly stable, multi-axis systems for clean and repeatable tasks in vacuum or ambient environments.
We at attocube care about your application requirements, your budget, and your results, offering positioning solutions with exceptional dynamic force, high performance and stability for applications in room temperature, vacuum, radiation, or extreme cryogenic conditions.
Whether it is test measurements, incorporation of your own components or just consulting on integration of stages, attocube is your trusted partner for your high precision positioning needs. Contact us with your application and together we can realize your idea.
How we realize your idea...
1. Conception
Collection and definition of requirements with our customers and partners.
2. Refinement
Optimization of requirements and system architecture to offer a solution concept.
3. Design
Detailed design and prototyping by experienced technology experts.
4. Test
Testing and verification under application conditions (e.g. HV/UHV/extreme temperatures).
5. Launch
Integration, installation, and operation support.
Customized Nanopositioning Solutions
Prototypes
tailored to your needs
For applications out of the ordinary, we help you push the boundaries of what has currently considered technically feasible. May it be operations in elevated temperature, or the need of an ultra-high rotational stiffness requiring completely new driving mechanisms, or simply rounded edges?
attocube deliver solutions through novel design, development, and rigorous testing, fulfilling new requirements without compensating for quality.
Choices involve:
- design (e.g. because of space constraints)
- materials like aluminium, stainless steel, titanium
- dynamic forces or moving load capabilities
Customized Configurations
configurable positioning solutions
With attocube’s broad technology portfolio, we can easily offer consulting in the combination of different stages to create unique multiaxial positioning systems exactly adapted to your needs.
Set-ups are completely reconfigurable for additional positioning demands as all attocube nanopositioners can be combined and re-combined to create an endless number of configurations. Using standard adapter plates as well as customized connection elements, countless of mounting possibilities can be made and complex positioning systems can be realized. Your imagination is the limit and we are happy to help you extending it!
Choices involve:
- combination of type of movements (linear, rotatory, tilting)
- mounting orientations
- product line combinations (AN* series with EC* series)
Rotation Compensation
true nanometer accuracy in rotation through active error compensation
In practice, no rotation is perfect. A near perfect rotation can however be achieved when the runout is simultaneously compensated. For tomography purposes for example, one has limited tolerance of the runout.
The smaller the runout – the better the resolution of experiments. As the main share of the runout errors is repeatable, a one-time calibration of the rotation stage can permanently improve the accuracy significantly, while still offering a very small footprint. Ask us about your probing setup and we will guide you to the ideal compensated solution.
Choices involve:
- accuracy (down to 100 nm)
- environment (ambient, vacuum)
- calibration height depending on sample
Integrated Customer Set-ups
ready-to-use multi-stack solutions for ultimate precision
Combining multiple different piezo stages with interferometric readout, closed-loop control, and dedicated scanners can be a time consuming job. Our engineers with several years of experience in both piezo motion and sensorics, as well as software will design a complete solution tailored to your needs.
Whether you just need to incorporate several of your own components to a positioning system, or want to avoid the hassle of constructing a complete 20-axes x-ray microscope with scan software and installation – we are here to help!
Choices involve:
- combination of drive technologies (stepper, scanner)
- multi-axis positioner stacks with various degrees of freedom
- combination of sensor technologies
- system specifications: repeatability, drift rates, interfaces
Ultra Precise Interferometric Closed Loop Positioning
highest repeatability and resolution at the point of interest
The achievable repeatability in nano positioning applications is mostly limited by the integrated closed loop sensor. Interferometers like the IDS3010 are known for unrivaled resolution and precision. In combination with attocube´s piezo positioners this advanced sensor solution enables a next level positioning performance (read more in our AppNote 'Interferometric Closed Loop Piezo Positioning').
The modular design and combined user interface allow intuitive control of the positioners and sensors. To reach the highest possible precision the attocube engineering team supports you to find a fully integrated and specified solution tailored to your needs.
Choices involve:
- repeatability (down to 5 nm)
- degrees of freedom
- travel range and speed
- environment (vacuum, clean room)
- point of interest
- footprint (miniaturized components)
Ultraprecise Microscopy Stages
high stability piezo solutions for accurate sample positioning
attocube’s customized microscopy stages are the solution when accuracy and high position stability is key. They provide highest precision over up to a several centimeters travel range. Monolithic xy-units or fully assembled xyz-stacks optimize the stability and precision amongst the travelling axes and minimize the needed installation space.
Our engineers are looking forward to discuss your application specific requirements and develop a suited solution based on attocube ECS stages. Target motion for optical microscopy made easy.
Choices involve:
- degrees of freedom
- travel ranges
- design of stages
