Characteristics of a Decoupled 2-Dof Nano-Positioning Stage

Nano-positioning stage is an important part in high precision manufacture and micro-manipulation. This paper presents characteristics of a novel totally decoupled two degree-of-freedom (2-DOF)nano-positioning stage driven by piezoelectric (PZT)actuators. In order to achieve large stroke positioning, a symmetrical structure with new bridge type amplifiers based on single notch flexure hinges is utilized in this nano-positioning stage. By connecting the PZT actuators and bridge type amplifiers, the stage can realize decoupled motion in $X$ and $Y$ directions. The static characteristics of bridge type amplifier is investigated to explore the input stiffness, output stiffness and amplification ratio. The analytical model of nano-positioning stage is also established to explore the relationship between the amplification of whole stage and the stiffness of each component. Finite element analysis (FEA)is conducted to verify the theoretical analysis and investigate the dynamic characteristic of positioning stage. The analytical results indicate that the nano-positioning stage exhibits good performance.