A millimeter-range flexure-based nano-positioning stage using a self-guided displacement amplification mechanism

Abstract

We propose a mechanism for a single-axis flexure-based nano-positioning stage. A self-guided displacement amplification mechanism enables a large range of motion-up to a millimeter-with a compact stage size. Our device has a skewed double-compound parallelogram structure that acts as a motion guide and provides displacement amplification, thereby eliminating a serial connection. Its structural symmetry improves positioning accuracy by reducing parasitic motion error and thermal deformation. A millimeter-range piezo-actuated nano-positioning stage is implemented using the self-guided displacement amplification mechanism. The stage was designed using design optimization frameworks to obtain the highest fundamental resonance frequency under constraints for predetermined travel range, stress, and size. The effectiveness of the proposed mechanism is experimentally verified. Also, we demonstrate that the fabricated stage has superior volume efficency compared to other stages of similar size. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.