Nanopositioning equipment manufacturer PI now offers a new family of automated alignment engines for silicon photonics applications including 3 to 6 axis mechanisms, controllers with firmware based alignment algorithms, and the software tools to meet the high accuracy demands of different markets, such as packing, planar testing, or inspection.

Nanoscale Accuracy, Multi Degrees-of-freedom

Very stiff stacked multi-axis systems and parallel-kinematics 6 DoF systems with high speed and high throughput achieve alignment times of less than 1 second for single and double-sided alignment tasks, with all axes driven by one controller or one software interface using one global coordinate system. Interdependencies of axes are automatically compensated for and integrated coarse-fine solutions deliver 25mm closed-loop motion for first light and 100μm high-speed, piezo-flexure based nano-align motion in X, Y, Z. Longer linear travel ranges are possible. 

An R&D 100 winner in the Analytical/Test category, PI’s one-step global optimization product line addresses the requirement of incorporating multiple parallel optical paths with multiple, interacting inputs and outputs, all requiring optimization.

The advanced alignment systems of the F-712.HA2 and F-712.MA2 are based on a highly specialized digital motion controller with embedded advanced alignment and tracking functionality and a hybrid precision scanning and tracking mechanism combining the advantages of piezoelectric on servo-motorized drives.

Led by Head of Photonics Market Segment Scott Jordan, PI’s development team comprises more than a century of photonics alignment automation experience and includes foundational participants in the field.

Specifications are at pi-usa.us/products/Photonics_Alignment_Solutions.