Submicron Features and Rising Quantities Require Automated, Fast Alignment Procedures
· Scott Jordan
In the field of Silicon Photonics, a challenge is the exceedingly fine alignment required to couple inputs and outputs. PI’s new F-131 Modular XYZ Photonic Alignment System provides an excellent foundation for developing, studying and pursuing manufacturing and testing of photonic components.
Piezo tip/tilt systems from PI (Physik Instrumente) are versatile positioning systems ─ they are ideal for dynamic operation in applications such as scanning, tracking, for suppressing drift oscillation or dynamic image stabilizing. Piezo tip/tilt systems and scanners offer greater acceleration and dynamic bandwidth than similar actuators such as for example, voice coil or galvanometer scanners. Piezo tip/tilt systems developed by PI are also found in applications for quasistatic positioning of optics with high demands on "pointing stability".
Hybrid drives combine two different drive concepts into a high-performance and precision positioning system. Nanopositioning systems that combine piezo drives with classical drive screws therefore offer a practical solution, but also other drive concepts are possible.
A novel non-contact metrology method called “Tilted Wave Front Interferometry (TWI)” makes use of the multi-axis flexibility and accuracy of hexapod parallel kinematics 6-axis motion systems to position a calibration sphere.
