Development of inertia driven micro robot with nano tilting stage for SEM operation

Excerpt

The technique for nano manipulation in scanning electron microscope (SEM) becomes more important due to the demands for the latest nano technology trends. However, it is also not easy to implement the precise machines into the small SEM chamber since there are some problems such as the lubrication and electromagnetical disturbances. In our group, the unique small robot driven by the piezo elements that is capable of working even in the vacuum SEM chamber with the nano positioning resolution has been developed (Fuchiwaki and Aoyama 2002a, b; Fuchiwaki et al. 2003). For the practical application in SEM chamber, the micro tilting hemispherical table driven by three piezo elements is also set on the small robot and this layout can allow the SEM operator to observe the target sample with the various view angles. …