PI highlights fast nano-focusing systems that improve precision in microscopy and metrology, helping maintain image quality while speeding semiconductor inspection and measurements across demanding applications.
PI (Physik Instrumente) is highlighting its P-725 piezo-driven and V-508 voice-coil-driven nano-precision focusing systems for applications where rapid movement and precise positioning are essential. The systems are designed to continuously adjust an objective lens or sample position, supporting nanometre-level resolution and millisecond response times.
The technology addresses a key challenge in high-magnification microscopy and surface metrology, where the depth of focus can be only a few micrometres or less. Small changes in sample height, surface topography, thermal drift or vibration can move the area of interest out of focus, affecting image quality and measurement accuracy.
Fast focusing mechanisms can help overcome these limitations by reducing settling times while maintaining precise positioning. In optical profilometry and 3D surface metrology, rapid focus scanning can support accurate reconstruction of complex surface features. Automated microscopy can similarly benefit by allowing larger areas or multiple samples to be inspected more quickly without sacrificing sharpness.
The combination of high speed and nanometre precision is particularly relevant to semiconductor inspection, where millions of features may need to be measured accurately. By reducing focus errors and settling times, precision focusing systems can increase throughput, improve repeatability and support the detection of increasingly small defects and structures.
PI also provides digital motion controllers with advanced linearisation and optimisation for scanning and fast step-and-settle applications. The company says achieving nanometre precision in milliseconds requires not only precision mechanics and sensors but also advanced electronics and control algorithms.
The technology serves semiconductor inspection, metrology, DNA sequencing, microscopy, photonics and laser processing. As imaging resolutions continue to improve, faster and more accurate focusing is becoming increasingly important for equipment that must capture detailed measurements while maintaining productivity.
