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An Introduction to ThruSight-Focus
How Embedded Z Actuation Enhances Traditional XY Stage Design
Traditional XY microscope stages have the Z degree of freedom addressed within the mechanics of the focusing objective. But what if the there are multiple focusing objectives for multiple uses cases or processes? Does this mean each objective needs its own actuator, or one actuator is moving a heavy turret? Furthermore, what if auto-focusing requirements demanded more features, more capability, and greater performance? The solution is ThruSight-Focus.
ThruSight-Focus is a high-performance, compact motion platform specifically engineered for applications requiring dual-side access to the sample or workpiece. It pairs Allient Denver's (formerly ALIO) monolithic open-center XY stage, known for its nanometer-level precision, crossed roller bearings, and direct linear drives, with a novel Z-wedge mechanism that converts horizontal drive force into vertical motion via direct drive actuation. This innovative architecture eliminates backlash, enhances servo responsiveness, and delivers fast, stable Z-axis movements, all within a low-profile, open-center, footprint.
Applications
Life Science - Digital Pathology
In life sciences applications such as digital pathology and genome sequencing, precise illumination plays a critical role in achieving high-resolution imaging and accurate data acquisition. In digital pathology, whole-slide imaging systems require uniform and stable illumination to capture detailed histological features for accurate diagnosis and analysis. Similarly, in genome sequencing, fluorescence-based imaging techniques rely on controlled illumination to detect and differentiate genetic markers with high sensitivity. ThruSight-Focus is perfect for these applications, as its design allows for unobstructed light transmission from below the sample, ensuring even illumination across the field of view. This setup enhances image clarity, reduces optical aberrations, and enables the seamless integration of advanced imaging modalities, making it an essential tool for cutting-edge life sciences research and diagnostics.
Semi/Photonics - Beam Steering
Silicon photonic beam steering modules utilize backside coupling elements to achieve dense integration with drive electronics. This configuration enhances performance and reduces footprint, making it essential for technologies like LiDAR and optical communication systems. ThruSight-Focus enables wafer backside accessibility, allowing for more efficient routing of optical and electrical signals, improving overall system functionality.
Semi/Photonics - Micro-electronics
Another critical area where backside access is advantageous is in the monolithic integration of microlenses in silicon photonics. The incorporation of microlenses on the backside of silicon wafers facilitates alignment-tolerant expanded beam coupling interfaces. This approach significantly improves coupling efficiency and simplifies the packaging of photonic circuits, making it a key innovation in the development of compact, high-performance photonic devices.
Semi-Wafer Processing
Emerging semiconductor technologies are also adopting backside power delivery networks, which enable a separation of power and signal interconnects. This approach enhances power integrity and signal performance, which is critical for advanced integrated circuits. The ability to access the backside of the wafer simplifies the implementation of these networks, allowing for more efficient power distribution and signal management within increasingly complex semiconductor architectures.
Customer Pains & Gains
Pains
OEMs in Life Science, Semi and Photonics technologies are experts in their specific fields of biology, physics of light (lasers), and wafer processing. What they are not experts in is motion hardware and look outside their core capabilities to fill this need. Motion hardware optimization in terms of precision, force, and mass, is not generally understood by OEMs, but impacts the end-products’ ability to win market share immensely.
Gains - Compact
To this end, packaging the motion system, along with the imaging system and support structure, is a significant challenge for OEMs. Space allocation within laboratories, factories, clean rooms, and medical offices is always a premium, driving the need to keep the footprint small and making compact motion systems highly desirable. ThruSight-Focus delivers the needed capability in an optimized space, providing a low-profile (67.3 mm), low mass, open center, XYZ stage, that meets the demanding space allocation.
Gains - Focus and Flexibility
Focusing techniques vary across the many applications but one common challenge or decision that is always a constant is the choice of moving the focus objective or moving the sample. An ideal situation is when you have flexibility to do both.
In moving only the objective, travel range is often limited. If multiple objectives are needed to widen the field of view, or to enable various process steps, moving a multi-objective mechanism just became more complicated, as mass increased and compliance decreased.
Unlike traditional Z actuation that uses a solid wedge and a ball screw design, ThruSight-Focus uses a split wedge, direct drive architecture, to deliver backlash free, directly coupled force, enabling high servo bandwidths for vertical motion of an open center Z stage. Control loop design can now become like traditional motor control with a nested inner velocity loop using the Z axis encoder and outer load position loop, using the focus sensor. This type of control architecture ensures a sensor close to the force generation mechanism, making the dynamics of the system less complex and easier to control versus traditional rotary to linear wedge designs.
With the process flexibility of moving the sample only, the objective only, or both independently, vastly improves opportunities for success and innovation.
Gains - Open Center
Lastly, certain imaging, laser, and wafer processes require access to the under-side of the sample. Not having access requires an extra process step that costs time and money, or may not even be possible, thereby limiting the overall value of the complete system. An open center XY stage with an open Z axis, offers accessibility to the under-side, offering process and image optimization.
Summary
ThruSight-Focus delivers a breakthrough in XY stage design, delivering Z motion is a compact form factor, while not giving up on performance. It also enables expanded focus flexibility, allowing nested loops, movement of the Z sample independent of the focusing objective, and better overall control authority. Lastly, the open center enables underside accessibility, enhancing life science, photonics, micro-electronics, and wafer processing applications.
Want to Know More?
If you would like to find out more about how ThruSight-Focus can help with your application, reach out to our Solutions Center to be put in touch with a Solutions Engineer.