Parallel-Kinematic Z-Tip-Tilt Stage: Air Bearings & Low Profile

PI offers a high performance parallel-kinematic Z-Tip-Tilt stage based on air bearing linear slide technology.
The compact air-bearing positioning system is designed for demanding alignment, inspection, metrology, semiconductor, and photonics applications.

The A-523 combines three degrees of freedom (Z, tip, and tilt) in one compact package, a great advantage of its parallel-kinematics design.   

Based on frictionless air bearings, ironless direct-drive linear motors, and nanometer-resolution optical encoders, the stage delivers exceptional positioning performance while eliminating the wear, maintenance, and stick-slip effects associated with conventional mechanical bearing systems. The system provides 5mm of Z travel, tip/tilt motion up to approximately 2 degrees, and supports payloads up to 8kg on a large 250mm diameter platform.

Air Bearings and Parallel Kinematics Enable Superior Performance

Unlike stacked mechanical stages, the A-523 utilizes a parallel-kinematic architecture with a single moving platform driven by three synchronized linear motors. This design minimizes overall height, reduces moving mass and inertia, and eliminates the accumulation of geometric errors often associated with stacked-axis systems. The result is a highly dynamic motion platform with exceptional repeatability, positioning accuracy, and long-term stability.

The frictionless air-bearing design provides smooth motion free of backlash, hysteresis, and wear. With no rolling elements or mechanical contact surfaces, the system is ideally suited for cleanroom environments and applications where long service life and consistent performance are critical.

Designed for Semiconductor, Photonics, and Precision Automation

The A-523 is particularly well suited for wafer inspection, semiconductor metrology, maskless lithography, fiber positioning, optics alignment, flat-panel display inspection, and advanced photonics manufacturing. High acceleration capability, low profile, and nanometer-level feedback resolution allow the stage to support both static alignment tasks and high-throughput automated production environments.

For multi-axis applications, the A-523 can be integrated with planar air-bearing stages such as the A-311 or combined with the A-361 XYθ air-bearing platform to create compact 5-axis and 6-axis motion systems for precision automation and advanced manufacturing.

Key Features

• Frictionless air-bearing guidance
• 5mm Z travel range
• Tip/tilt motion up to 2°
• Payload capacity up to 8kg
• Large 250mm (10") platform
• Ultra-low profile design, only 60mm high
• Ironless direct-drive linear motors
• 1nm encoder resolution
• Cleanroom-compatible operation
• Zero wear, zero lubrication, and maintenance-free motion platform

The A-523 parallel-kinematic stage expands PI's family of ultra-precision air-bearing motion systems, providing engineers and researchers with a compact, high-performance solution for applications where accuracy, stability, cleanliness, and dynamic performance are essential.