A Piezoelectric and Electromagnetic Dual Mechanism Multimodal Linear Actuator for Generating Macro- and Nanomotion

Fast actuation with nanoprecision over a large range has been a challenge in advanced intelligent manufacturing like lithography mask aligner.Traditional stacked stage method works effectively only in a local,limited range,and vibration coupling is also challenging.Here,we design a dual mechanism multimodal linear actuator(DMMLA)consisted of piezoelectric and electromagnetic costator and coslider for producing macro-,micro-,and nanomotion,respectively.A DMMLA prototype is fabricated,and each working mode is validated separately,confirming its fast motion(0~50 mm/s)in macromotion mode,micromotion(0~135μm/s)and nanomotion(minimum step:0~2 nm)in piezoelectric step and servomotion modes.The proposed dual mechanism design and multimodal motion method pave the way for next generation high-precision actuator development.