Design of a Planar High Precision Motion Stage

Over the last 50 years one has been able to observe enormous enhancement in positioning and measuring accuracy. The main portion of this enhancement is the result of improved knowledge about high precision machine design. A fundamental principle was recognized by Professor Abbe already in the 1890s about the aligment of the displacement measuring system with the distance to be measured. Another fundamental principle is the separation of the structural and measuring functions in a machine. As mechanical accuracy is costly, unlike repeatability, software techniques were used from the beginning to compensate for the systematic errors in order to keep manufacturing costs low.