Prior Scientific’s nanopositioning brand, Queensgate, has won funding in round 8 of Innovate UK’s Analysis for Innovation (A4I) program. This is their third successful application within the initiative.
A4I gives UK businesses access to cutting-edge facilities and world-class scientific expertise to solve problems they are unable to do with standard technologies and techniques. For this project, Queensgate will be working with scientists from the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to develop a mathematical model for multi-axis control. This work will improve calibration routines for Queensgate’s Z/tip/tilt nanopositioning stages, which move in three axes.
“Understanding the interaction between the sensors in the Z/tip/tilt stages requires highly accurate motion mapping which is only possible using sophisticated interferometry with sub-nanometer performance,” explained Craig Goodman, product manager for Queensgate. “The opportunity to partner with NPL makes this project to improve the accuracy and resolution of our multi-axis nanopositioning stages achievable.”
Queensgate has worked with NPL on two previous projects, with funding from A4I. The first project successfully developed a model for spatial positioning correction for multi-axis stages and the results of this have been published as a paper: Spatial Positioning Correction for Multi-Axis Nanopositioning Stages
Results from the second project with regards to improved linearization of single-axis piezo nanopositioning stages are due to be published shortly.
