Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NanoScan (Large-stroke and high-speed nanoscanning for multi-photon polymerization 3D lithography)
Reporting period: 2021-12-01 to 2024-11-30
In the “Post-Moore Era”, multi-photon polymerization 3D nanolithography (MPP 3D-NL) technology, as an emerging micro/nano-machining technology, has great advantages in fabricating arbitrary 3D micro/nanostructures of various materials with nanoscale resolution (down to 100nm). Unfortunately, due to the defect of short travel range of the nanoscanners, the scientific community has to rely on “splicing” to achieve large-size MPP 3D-NL fabrication, which has greatly limited its machining accuracy and efficiency. For the purposes of MPP 3D-NL, we focus on three specific aspects: accuracy, efficiency, and size. In all these respects, efficiency and size play a crucial role, but they are also a pair of contradictions. The NanoScan project aims to improve the understanding of the nanoscanning system in response to large-stroke, cross-decoupling, cooperative nanopositioning control and their roles in the surface-forming fabrication and high-efficiency micro/nano-machining. For this project, it aims to address the following objectives:
1. To use flexure-based compliant mechanisms and ultra-precision actuators to develop large-stroke nanopositioning mechanisms.
2. To optimize the key components, including theoretical and experimental research activities on the optimal design and control methodologies of the NanoScan system.
3. To develop a closed-loop and high-bandwidth control method to achieve multidimensional and cross-scale cooperative nanopositioning.
4. To conduct experimental validation and optimisation to verify the proposed large-stroke nanopositioning mechanisms and high-rate controlling algorithms.
5. To disseminate and transfer the achievements to wider communities, including academia and industry, through conferences, journal papers, and seminars/workshops, internet presence and further exploit them for commercialization.
1. To use flexure-based compliant mechanisms and ultra-precision actuators to develop large-stroke nanopositioning mechanisms.
2. To optimize the key components, including theoretical and experimental research activities on the optimal design and control methodologies of the NanoScan system.
3. To develop a closed-loop and high-bandwidth control method to achieve multidimensional and cross-scale cooperative nanopositioning.
4. To conduct experimental validation and optimisation to verify the proposed large-stroke nanopositioning mechanisms and high-rate controlling algorithms.
5. To disseminate and transfer the achievements to wider communities, including academia and industry, through conferences, journal papers, and seminars/workshops, internet presence and further exploit them for commercialization.
TIn this project, the objectives and goals have been addressed via six specific work packages: (1) NanoScan protocol and mechanism; (2) Optimal design of key components; (3) Design of controlling strategy; (4) Experimental validation and optimization; (5) Project management and (6) Dissemination and knowledge transfer deliverables. The goals and objectives of the NanoScan project have been fully met. The preliminary results are listed as follows:
1. Development of a compliant 4-DoFs system with hybrid amplification modules, which can achieve nanoscale positioning in 4-DoFs(Z/Tip/Tilt/Θ) to facilitate spatially accurate alignment. The system employs a piezoelectric-driven amplification mechanism that combines a bridge lever hybrid amplification mechanism, a double four-bar guide mechanism, and a multi-level lever symmetric rotation mechanism.
2. Inspired by the biological inchworm principle, the project designed a new cross-scale compliant rotary actuator with minimum actuation redundancy properties, thus achieving sub-µrad level angular resolution (0.05 µrad) and wide rotation range simultaneously (±5°).
3. Optimal design of a novel hollow single-actuation vertical stage (HSVS) to improve the flatness and integrability of the XYZ nanopositioner. Finally, coupling errors in non-working directions are less than 5.2 µm, and positioning accuracy is up to ±20 nm.
4. A set of novel vibration isolation strategies, including Modified Active-positive hybrid (MAPH) and hybrid add-on damping (HAD) methods, has been developed to improve the vibration isolation performance of large-stroke nanopositioning systems. Finally, the system has successfully resolved the crucial vibration isolation problem, since a high vibration reduction ratio (over 90%) across the large working range (0 to 500 Hz) has been achieved and the proposed nanopositioning system can run well in a large-range, nanoscale, stable, and reliable manner.
5. A series of advanced controlling algorithms including nonlinear effect modeling and compensation, feedforward model-based polynomial fitting, sliding mode composite control, and advanced synchronous nanopositioning control have been developed and verified to enhance the performance of the NanoScan system.
1. Development of a compliant 4-DoFs system with hybrid amplification modules, which can achieve nanoscale positioning in 4-DoFs(Z/Tip/Tilt/Θ) to facilitate spatially accurate alignment. The system employs a piezoelectric-driven amplification mechanism that combines a bridge lever hybrid amplification mechanism, a double four-bar guide mechanism, and a multi-level lever symmetric rotation mechanism.
2. Inspired by the biological inchworm principle, the project designed a new cross-scale compliant rotary actuator with minimum actuation redundancy properties, thus achieving sub-µrad level angular resolution (0.05 µrad) and wide rotation range simultaneously (±5°).
3. Optimal design of a novel hollow single-actuation vertical stage (HSVS) to improve the flatness and integrability of the XYZ nanopositioner. Finally, coupling errors in non-working directions are less than 5.2 µm, and positioning accuracy is up to ±20 nm.
4. A set of novel vibration isolation strategies, including Modified Active-positive hybrid (MAPH) and hybrid add-on damping (HAD) methods, has been developed to improve the vibration isolation performance of large-stroke nanopositioning systems. Finally, the system has successfully resolved the crucial vibration isolation problem, since a high vibration reduction ratio (over 90%) across the large working range (0 to 500 Hz) has been achieved and the proposed nanopositioning system can run well in a large-range, nanoscale, stable, and reliable manner.
5. A series of advanced controlling algorithms including nonlinear effect modeling and compensation, feedforward model-based polynomial fitting, sliding mode composite control, and advanced synchronous nanopositioning control have been developed and verified to enhance the performance of the NanoScan system.
The project developed an innovative piezoelectric XYZ nanoscanning system with a cubic centimeter workspace (100 cubic microns) to address the bottleneck of ensuring both the stroke and precision of three-dimensional micro/nano-structure lithography processing in micro/photoelectronics and other industrial fields. In short, this system successfully achieved large-stroke nanoscanning for three-dimensional nanolithography processing, ultimately breaking through the technical difficulty of traditional processes that must rely on step-by-step "splicing", and providing a new and effective solution for large-scale nanomanufacturing.
Overall, the main results are expected to attract the academic and industrial attention to large range nanopositioning for “splicing-free” micro/nano manufacturing. The achieved research outcomes and dissemination will expedite the successful usage of such systems in the industrial and commercial field, and thus it could not only strengthen the reputation of the candidate and host institute in the academic field, but would also definitely be helpful for strengthening European leadership in the field of advanced micro/nano manufacturing.
Overall, the main results are expected to attract the academic and industrial attention to large range nanopositioning for “splicing-free” micro/nano manufacturing. The achieved research outcomes and dissemination will expedite the successful usage of such systems in the industrial and commercial field, and thus it could not only strengthen the reputation of the candidate and host institute in the academic field, but would also definitely be helpful for strengthening European leadership in the field of advanced micro/nano manufacturing.