Specimen Stage for Laser- Microprobe

Description

High Precision Stage with New Parallel Bearings

The specimen stage shown in this photograph can be used for a number of applications. There is a vacuum-version, and one for the use at air, or in an inert gas atmosphere. Stepper motors, DC-tacho-motors, or handcranks for manual operation can be used for the drive axes in X, Y, Z, and R.

V-grooves in the base plate serve as a drop-in-centering for the three fine-thread levelling screws. This will line the stage up very accurately.

The setting of the leveling screws can be locked, so that the stage can be taken out for transport; when re-installing, it will slide into the V-grooves very accurately. The parallel bearings were made according to a new design, reducing the mechanical play and “hysteresis” (lateral shifting when reversing the drive direction) down to fractions of a micron.

The X, Y, and Z-sleds are pre-tooled for retrofit of linear-encoders (Heidenhain) as an option.