Development of stick–slip nanopositioning stage capable of moving in vertical direction

Nanopositioning stage, based on the stick–slip principle, is a hot research topic due to its unparallel merits such as compact structure, high resolution, and long travel stroke. However, most of the conventional stick–slip nanopositioning stages only have the ability to move along the horizontal directions. In addition, analysis of vertical stage movement is few. This paper proposes a novel stick–slip nanopositioning stage capable of moving upwards and downwards with an excellent performance. An adjusting unit was developed and integrated into the stage to effectively change friction force which is the key to the vertical stage movement. Theoretical and numerical analysis show that many parameters including revised driving signal contributes to the upward movement of stick–slip nanopositioning stage. Experimental results show that the stage has the capability of traveling up to 22 mm with an upward positioning accuracy of 7.00 nm and a downward positioning accuracy of 5.00 nm, respectively. The maximum speed for maximum speeds of stage for upward and downward motion were measured to be 2.70 and 0.77 mm/s, respectively. The maximum load of stage in vertical direction is 72 g. This stage design has a huge potential in applications requiring vertical manipulation while requiring nanometer positioning accuracies, high travel stroke, compact structure, and large load.