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.
