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FAQ about Firm Klocke Nanotechnik, their Products and Terminology

Please refer to the Item 'What's new ?' of Klock Nanotechnik

Index of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
  1. What are the operation modes from nm to mm ?
  2. How does the Nanomotor (a piezo tube) control the position ?
  3. What are the applications of Nanomotor ?
  4. Are there any application materials ?


Answers of the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
  1. What are the operation modes from nm to mm ?
    (Answer) This is made possible by 2 different operation modes of the Nanomotor. The outer casing of the Nanomotor consists of a piezo tube, which expands by applying a voltage on its two electrodes. This expansion of about 10nm per Volt is transferred the slider of the Nanomotor. By controlling the piezo tube with voltage pulses a kind of stepping motor operation is realised. The slider of the Nanomotor does not follow the the fast motion of the piezo tube becasue of its mass inertia and moves a little bit with every pulse relative to the piezo. By repeating these pulses the slider moves up to millimeters. These coarse steps are regular but not adjusted due to thr inertia principle. The fine movement range which is calibrated by the piezo constant is in any case larger than a coarse step so that every position can be reached with piezo actuator precision. At ± 15 Volts a coarse step is about 100nm and the fine positioning range is 300nm. Without applying a voltage the Nanomotor grips the slider so tight that the maximum load cannot move the slider.

  2. How does the Nanomotor (a piezo tube) control the position ?
    (Answer) The Nanomotor is an asymmetric device, the mounting is only on one side. So the mean step size of coarse steps upwards and downwards is different. But in one direction without changing load or forces the step size of coarse steps varies only about 1%. Although the driving piezo has a hysteresis of about 10%, we can obtain 1% repeatability by the precision of the internal mechanics of the Nanomotor and by decoupling the step size from variation of step amplitudes made by the imperfect piezo. Still, 1% is often not good enough, especially if the load is changing, e.g. by applying forces during microengraving. The eight orders of magnitude between resolution and stroke made by the Nanomotor cannot be measured with any conventional device.
    The best solution is PMS - Position Measuring System. Optical position sensors can be integrated into the Nanorobotics modules. They allow a resolution of ± 2 nm over the whole stroke of the module. The sensor does not increase the size of the modules.

  3. What are the applications of Nanomotor ?
    (Answer) The following sentences show the applications and their informative materials.
    The Nanomotor is a patented piezoelectric linear motor, with atomic resolution. Dr. Klocke and his team developed the Nanomotor since 1992. One of the elder articles about this motor and some applications is published in the German Magazine [F&M] 1996. Further applications are described in the Magazine [MST-news, 1999], and in 2002 articles were published including complete micro production systems based on the Nanomotor and the Nanorobotics series developed by Klocke Nanotechnik.
    Several different types of the Nanomotor are available. The Nanomotor can be operated at UHV (10-11hPa) and Low Temperature (4.4k) conditions and is used as a part of Scanning Probe Microscopes: it is ideal to form small Probe Microscope heads. And it's the basis for a complete series of Nanorobotics for Scanning Electron and Ion Microscopes. The Nanorobotics series combine the Nanomotor with components from classical mechanical engineering like ball bearing tables and gears. The resulting devices are as strong as bearings and as precise as the Nanomotor: kg of load can be moved within centimeters of stroke at 1 nm resolution. The Nanorobotics series includes the smallest and most precise linear stage available in the market, called NMT Module. The sample stage is also available. In the NMT modules a position measurement with closed-loop can also be mounted. A Microgripper of this series (NMG) can be added to these stages to form small micro assembly systems. Adding more and more Nanorobotics lead to complete Micro Production Systems, probably the most precise production cells available in the market !
    Klocke Nanotechnik offers complete solutions for Nanorobotics in Scanning Electron and Ion Microscopes since 1998. Since 1999 LEO (now; Carl Zeiss Group) sells Nanomanipulators as OEM products with their SEMs (SEM-manipulators) to expand the SEM functions to machining and testing. These Nanomanipulators can be used to prepare a thin TEM lamella. the NMT modules of the Nanorobotics series from XYZ Manipulators fitting into "any" SEM. In-situ Wafer Probing Systems from Klocke Nanotechnik are key products to make current measurements on sub-90nm structures with e.g. 3 probe tips within a diameter of a few 100 nm. The process is visualized by the SEM. The usage of Nanorobotics manipulators in a SEM is described in a report.
    Nanomanipulation with Force Feedback is another example, e.g. to engrave a surface like with a "Nano-Hammer", or Nanomanipulators for Liquid handling. These products are further used for a micro bonding technique and as Assembling Units with nm-resolution of the devices or as Universal Testing Bench, up to complete Micro Production Systems, also described in "Nanorobotics for Micro Production Technology". In the Micro Production Systems a Vision System using pattern recognition is also included. The Nanomotor is controlled via Ethernet by a Network Controller (NWC).
    (The above blue underlined subject names are translated into Japanese, please ask us the copy using the subject name per E-mail.
    The above black subject names can be downloaded from Firm Klocke's Home Page.)

  4. Are there any application materials ?
    (Answer) The followings are the informative materials.
    Components (1)Baisc Products
    Nanomotor
    The Nanomotor, data sheet
    "Atomic precision and Millimeter range" (F&M 96).....general information
    "Motion from the Nanoscle World" (MST-news99).....general information
    "Motion from the Nanoscle World" (Springer-verlag 2002).....general information
    Nanorobotics for Micro Production Technology (SPIE 2002).....general information(incl. micro production), overlap(1)
    Tables
    "Nano-precise Positioning" (Schneeberger 2000).....overlap(2)
    Sample Stages.....overlap(3)
    Manipulators
    SEM-Manipulators.....overlap(4)
    The Nanomanipulator
    Nanomotors for Liquid Handling (Innovation 99)
    Grippers
    The Microgripper, data sheet.....overlap(5)
    STM
    Scanning Probe Microscope.....overlap(6)
    Components (2)Nanorobotics
    NMT Positioning tables
    NMT modules, data sheet
    "Nano-precise Positioning" (Schneeberger 2000).....overlap(2)
    Position measurement
    Sample Stages<.....overlap(3)
    SEM-Manipulators.....overlap(4)
    NMG Gripper modules
    The Micro Gripper, data sheet.....overlap(5)
    XYZ Manipulator
    SEM-Manipulators.....overlap(4)
    Nanorobotics manipulator as a Wafer prober; Measurements in a Scanning Electron Microscope.....overlap(7)
    Nanorobotics Manipulators.....overlap(8)
    Force Feedback Manipulator
    Nanomanipulation with Force Feedback
    Microassembly stage
    "Microassembly with Nanometer Resolution - Assembly of Terahertz Frequency Mixers" (KOSMA)
    Assembly and Calibration with Nanometer-Precision" (Spindler & Hoyer)
    Components (3)Electronics
    NWC Network Controller
    Network Controller (NWC - including Position measurement)
    Systems (1)Micro Productin System
    Micro Productin System.....Micro Production System
    Micro Adhesive Bonding in Products and Service
    Vision System; Pattern Recognition and Quality Control
    Nanorobotics for Micro Production Technology (SPIE 2002).....general information(incl. micro production), overlap(1)
    Systems (2)Nanorobotics for Electron and Ion Microscopes
    Nanorobotics manipulators for "every" Microscope.....A must-see for the Electron Microscopes
    Scanning Probe Microscope.....overlap(6)
    Wafer Probing System for Electron Microscopes
    Nanorobotics manipulator as a Wafer prober; Measurements in a Scanning Electron Microscope.....overlap(7)
    Nanorobotics Manipulators.....overlap(8)
    Processing material in Electron Microscopes (LEO)
    Preparation of TEM-Samples (Fraunhofer)
    The SPM as a Tool, The "Nano-Hammer"
    Systems (3)Scanning Probe Microscopy
    Scanning Probe Microscope.....overlap(6)
    Scanning Probe Heads; Summary of Nanomotor driven SPM-Heads
    (The above blue underlined subject names are translated into Japanese, please ask us the copy using the subject name per E-mail.
    The above blue un-linked subject names can be downloaded from Firm Klocke's Home Page.)




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