ALIO Industries' headquarters in Colorado
ALIO Industries has well established itself as one of the leading providers of air-bearing stage technology, like its 6D Nano Positioning systems.
Forming part of ultra-precise motion control systems, air bearings provide frictionless operation by suspending key components on a thin film of air. As a result, machinal contact is eliminated to reduce wear and vibration to improve accuracy levels. Sectors including semiconductor manufacturing, metrology, and photonics particularly benefit from this type of technology.
“One of ALIO's standout offerings is the Planar XY Air Bearing Stage, which achieves sub-micron accuracy and bi-directional repeatability of +/- 100nm,” explained Bill Hennessey, President of ALIO Industries. “This stage is ideal for applications requiring ultra-precise positioning, such as semiconductor inspection and metrology. The use of a granite base ensures minimal thermal expansion and maximum stability, essential for maintaining high precision over extended periods and varying environmental conditions.”
ALIO's air-bearing stages, like planar XY, linear X, and rotational air-bearing systems, aim to provide high levels of precision and repeatability, down to nanometre-level accuracy. Built to handle demanding applications, these systems offer high payload capacities, smooth motion over long distances, and high-speed capabilities whilst ensuring precision.
Looking specifically at the Nano Z stages, the technology uses dual voice coil motors and air bearings to minimise its vertical limitations to provide stability and accuracy in the Z-axis. This makes the system ideal for applications such as wafer inspection and photonics.