Design of a novel six-axis metrology system for meso-scale nanopositioners

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to develop the best possible means and methods of building a six axis metrology system given cost and space constraints. Six axis measurements are a crucial part of precision engineering and characterizing machine performance, however commercially available sensors are not cost-efficient and are difficult to incorporate into meso-scale machines. The novel approach presented here uses three pairs of laser diodes and quadrant photodiodes to achieve six axis measurements. This paper presents a general parametric model that can predict the output of the photodiodes due to translations and rotations of the target for any geometry of the system. The device has performance characteristics of translational resolution in the range of microns depending on the geometry of the system, a bandwidth of 17.5 MHz, and dominant noise in the sensor of ±1.6 nm. This device will be useful in a variety of applications including nanomanufacturing, bio instrumentation, Dip Pen Nanolithography, AFM, and many more.