The majority of dynamic stages are possible with the frictionless magnetic direct drive technology. They employ fewer mechanical parts than motor-spindle-based stages, which reduces friction and backlash and increases precision.
For even superior performance, PI's PIglide stages combine the magnetic direct drive with extremely accurate preloaded air bearings.
The vertical lift stage designs that PI offers range from stepper motor powered vertical stage platforms to piezo-Z flexure nanopositioning stages (also known as vertical linear stages, Z-stages, or elevator stages). Focusing, metrology, or precise positioning and alignment applications employ high precision vertical lift stages. In high-end industrial manufacturing and research applications, such as semiconductor surface metrology testing, photonics alignment, and optics, the ability to adjust the elevation of a platform with sub-micrometer to nanoscale precision is frequently mission-critical. Vertical lift stages, as opposed to linear stages raised vertically, enable 360-degree access to the objects mounted on the Z-platform.