PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. -- a leading manufacturer of piezo nanopositioning systems and scanners for microscopy, bio-medical and nanotechnology applications -- has released a new catalog on planar piezo scanners for Atomic Force and Scanning Probe microscopy.
The new catalog covers a variety of novel closed-loop planar piezo scanners, and controllers with advanced digital features for higher scanning rates, improved linearity and responsiveness.
Compared to conventional piezo tube scanners, the low-bow, flexure guided piezo stages are run in closed-loop mode and provide significantly lower out of plane motion (flatness) and better linearity. A special stage designed with a new lead-free piezo material allows resolution down to 20 picometers and less than 1 nanometer hysteresis.
Flexure stages with travel ranges to 1800 microns are available and many different configurations from single axis to 6-axis systems are offered.
Self-locking ultrasonic motor stages with long travel ranges to 200mm are also available for pre-positioning, and as a stable base for the high-speed piezo scanners.