I-Corps: Flexure mechanism-based advanced nanopositioning motion stages for the semiconductor industry

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a cost-effective, high-speed, nanopositioning stage for use in the semiconductor industry. A nanopositioning stage is a macro-scale motion system that is capable of nanometric precision and resolution. Given the nanometric feature sizes in the semiconductor devices found in everyday electronics such as computers, mobile devices, displays, etc., nanopositioning stages are used in various steps of semiconductor device manufacturing and metrology. Conventional nanopositioning motion systems are either too slow: limiting process throughput, or too expensive: leading to higher production cost of semiconductor devices. The challenges associated with the current systems result in higher retail costs of electronic products. Commercialization of the proposed nanopositioning stages may lead to yield improvements in semiconductor manufacturing, resulting in lower costs of production.This I-Corps project is based on the development of cost-effective, high-speed, nanopositioning stages that use flexure mechanisms. Conventional nanopositioning stages based on ball bearing technology provide a large range of motion, but are limited by slower speeds and settling times because of their size. Slower settling times lead to lower throughput in the various processes where these motion systems are used. Maglev-based nanopositioning stages offer larger ranges of motion as well as higher speeds but are expensive, and their cost is justified only in limited applications. Flexure mechanism-based nanopositioning stages are compact, affordable, and have existed for decades. Flexure mechanisms are jointless, monolithic structures that are free of friction, backlash, and assembly. However, these stages suffer from significant trade-offs between range of motion and high speed. Large range of motion results in geometric non-linearities, which in turn lead to complex dynamics and control challenges. Previous basic research in non-linear flexure mechanics and dynamics, flexure mechanism design, electromagnetic actuators, and control schemes have helped overcome these historical tradeoffs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.