Optimal design for XY micro/nano - positioning stages

Abstract

With the improvements made in technologies in the past decade, the demand for micro/nano systems are on the rise. Positioning stages play an important role in micro/nano systems as they can provide the precise and accurate actuations required by such systems. Positioning stages can be found in micro-assemblies, surgical tools or even, micro-electromechanical systems. In this study, the positioning stage is built as a compliant Flexure-based mechanism. Flexure-based mechanisms are advantageous when it comes to building positioning stages due to their unique characteristics; flexure-based mechanism eliminates friction and backlash, allowing for better accuracy, precision, and finer resolutions. These factors coupled with the highly repetitive capabilities of flexure-based mechanism are well suited for developing a positioning stage. The method used to develop the optimal design for the positioning stage incorporates the use of a structural optimization approach, the approach was explained, carried out and discussed in this study. The resultant design of the positioning stage achieved in this project was finally experimented on to validate its actuating stiffness properties as well as to compare it to previous designs that were developed with different methods.