Fast Compact Nanopositioner Based on MEMS Flexures and a Novel Actuator Design

A critical need is developing for precision nanopositioners that are very compact and very fast while maintaining reasonable range of motion and load carrying capability. The need is pervasive, cover-ing, for example, advanced forms of lithography and CDmetrology in the semiconductor industry; positioning of optical fibers, lasers, and electron sources in lithography and optical communication; test instrumentation in the magnetic-data-storage and other industries that manufacture products with extrememechanical precision; and increasingly in nanotechnology and biomedical research. Currently commercially available nanopositioners, while they have sub-nanometer precision and reasonable ranges of motion, are all macroscopic, with dimensions measured incm or more, are driven by macroscopic piezoelectric actuator stacks, and cannot be scaled. Nanopositioners fabri-cated using micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, on the other hand, would be very compact and fast, with a range of motioncomparable to conventional positioners. However, standard actuation mechanisms for MEMS devices are insufficient for the requirements of nanopo-sitioners. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate the feasibility offabricating a MEMS nanopositioner that is driven by a novel type of actuator that produces greater force in a smaller footprint than conventional actuators used in microfabricated mechanical devices. Success in this feasibility study will allow themanufacture of a range of nanopositioners with foot-prints a factor or 50 to 100 times smaller than conventional nanopositioners and much higher speeds. Such positioners will be necessary in a number of modern