Nano-METZ position noise power spectrum showing flat response at low frequencies with position noise floor of 400 femtometer/√Hz.
Mad City Labs' implementation of our exclusive PicoQ® sensor technology minimizes position noise for the best positioning resolution in the industry. Our high performance stages have moved beyond the realm of nanopositioning into picopositioning, leaving former competitors behind. Legacy capacitive sensors cannot achieve picometer resolution. The position noise power spectrum of the Nano-METZ is shown below left. Positioners with PicoQ® senorsexhibit noise floors in the femtometer/√Hz range and positioning resolution in the picometer range. Below right is a plot of the Nano-HS3M performing a 20 picometer peak-to-peak sine wave using the 20 bit DAC in the Mad City Labs USB interface, while the sensor is being rmeasured by the 24 bit ADC. The least signficant bit of the DAC is 5 picometers, and is clearly resolvable. Legacy capacitive sensors cannot measure anything at this level. Our competitors cannot produce similar data.
Nano-HS3M Z-axis, input 20pm p-p 0.5Hz sine wave via Mad City Labs USB interface 20 bit DAC. Sensor measured using Mad City Labs USB interface 24bit ADC. Acquisition rate was 500Hz, averaged over 5 points. Measurement done in ambient conditions on a vibration isolation table with foam enclosure.
PicoQ sensor technology
Since their development in 1999 by Mad City Labs, PicoQ® sensors have been proven to be the ideal direct measurement position sensor for nanopositioning applications, surpassing the capabilities of capacitive sensors in several critical performance areas. The development of PicoQ® sensor technology has enabled Mad City Labs to manufacture the fastest, most stable, lowest noise, and lowest profile nanopositioning systems available. Mad City Labs nanopositioning systems using PicoQ® sensor technology can be found in world-leading research laboratories and as high reliability OEM components in the most demanding industries.
All Mad City Labs nanopositioning products are rigorously tested before shipment. These tests involve a series of measurements designed to fully characterize the performance of the nanopositioning system with a realistic environment and testing conditions that match the application. Available metrology tools include NIST-traceable interferometers, high resolution atomic force microscopes (AFM), and a high resolution position noise analyzer, designed specifically for nanopositioning characterization.
Design of precision motion systems requires all of these well-accepted metrology tools. Any customer with a precision motion application should be comfortable asking for technical information, including the fundamental noise performance of the nanopositioning system. Mad City Labs is willing to provide applicable data. PicoQ® sensor technology consistently excels during testing under various application-driven demands and in various environments.