I-Corps: Customer Discovery for Large Range Nanopositioning

该项目的目标是进一步开发大范围纳米定位技术。纳米定位系统是一种能够达到纳米级精度的宏观尺度运动系统，通常用于扫描探针显微镜和光刻。目前的纳米定位系统的运动范围被限制在每轴约100微米，从而限制了它们在某些工业应用中的使用。该项目的主要目标是进一步完善这种纳米定位技术，以确定产品规格，包括总体尺寸、运动范围、速度、精度和分辨率，以满足市场需求，并利用这些信息，开发一个详细的CAD设计的技术，利用该团队的持续研究与产品规格，符合社会需求。纳米定位系统是一个宏观尺度的运动系统，包括一个柔性轴承，致动器（S），传感器（S），和反馈控制，并能够纳米级的精度和分辨率。它在每一种扫描探针光刻和显微技术中提供衬底和探针之间的扫描运动。通过之前和正在进行的研究，研究团队已经确定了大范围（10 mm）多轴（XY）纳米定位的可行性。与现有技术相比，这意味着行程增加100倍，扫描区域覆盖范围增加10，000倍。

The objective of this project is to further develop large range nanopositioning technology. A nanopositioning system is a macro-scale motion system that is capable of nanometer-level precision, and is commonly used in scanning probe microscopy and lithography. Current nanopositioning systems are limited in their motion range to approximately 100 microns per axis, thereby restricting their use in some industrial applications. Research conducted by the project team has helped make large range (10mm) nanopositioning feasible via innovations and scientific advances in flexure bearings, sensors, actuators, and controls.The main goals of this project are to further refine this nanopositioning technology to determine product specifications in terms of overall size, motion range, speed, precision and resolution that meet market needs and using this information, develop a detailed CAD design of the technology that leverages the team's on-going research with product-specifications that fit with societal needs.A nanopositioning system is a macro-scale motion system comprising a flexure bearing, actuator(s), sensor(s), and feedback controls, and is capable of nanometer-level precision and resolution. It provides the scanning motion between a substrate and a probe in every scanning probe lithography and microscopy technique. Via previous and on-going research, the research team has established the feasibility of large-range (10mm) multi-axis (XY) nanopositioning. This represents a 100 times increase in stroke and 10,000 times increase in the scanning area coverage, compared to current technologies.