Home Run!
S O P H I S T I C AT E D C O M P O N E N T S
AND SYSTEM SOLUTIONSW W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O MChallenges & Solutions

What Makes Beamline Instrumentation
Such a Tricky Task?

Commissioning of a vacuum-compatible multi-axis system and qualification on site (Image: HZG / DESY)

Searching for the Perfect Position for Unique Results
The instrumentation of the individual experimental stations is highly specialized. Nevertheless, common denominators canbe named: highest quality, high spatial resolution, position repeatability and long-term stability, motion with a large numberof degrees of freedom, and in many cases adaption to vacuum environment to 10–9 hPa and below, are key requirements ofthe positioning devices. Besides, the whole system needs to be addressed and controlled over well-known interfaces, andbehave in a both predictable and reliable way.
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W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O MMany, many axes of maybe different drive types need to communicate and act
with reference to each other, which requires a most advanced motion control strategy. Travel ranges and positions determine the behavior of other system parts,
not only within one platform as is the case in parallel kinematics, but also for otherrelations when the sample has to be positioned ideally in the beam, when thedetector requires a position under a certain angle or in a certain distance, whencapillary optics, zone plates, or other focusing optics like refractive compound
lenses, filters and masks have to be adjusted within very little space, and tounequalled precision.
Cooperation From the Scratch
Close collaboration with the scientific staff at universities and research centersand sharing a common language is very helpful to develop complex, applicationoriented solutions for their research needs. At PI, physicists and engineers with abackground in research are ready for challenging enquiries. PI also handles installation and qualification on site until the full acceptance of the delivered solution.

Manufacturing quality to the tiniest detail

Engineered Systems That Use Top-Quality Components
The key to success is that the entire knowledge and experience of the PI family isused for creating customized products for diverse applications. Customized solutions are made easy with the broad portfolio of standard products available fromone supplier.
The full instrumentation of an endstation can be ordered from one hand. This gives
our customers the assurance that all axes, components and auxiliary devices arecoordinated in a most convenient way to the most convincing result.
Mechanical optimization and elaborate design sum up to satisfy the most demanding tasks. From the granite base to the sample manipulator every part of an
instrument is selected with profound knowledge, and operated and controlled withconsideration.

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Challenges & Solutions

Core Competences■

Commissioning of full instrumentation or single components, turn-key solutions■

Thorough application knowledge■

Complex multi-axis designs, parallel kinematic robotics■

Careful assembly to mechanical perfection■

Variety of drive technologies: linear, torque, stepper, DC, piezo motor■

Motion control electronics and software platform■

Software integration with drivers and DLLs for TANGO, EPICS, spec, LabVIEW, …

■

Proprietary and integration of third-party mechanical, motion and control equipment■

Vacuum conditions: UHV-ready delivery■

Air bearings

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W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O MTechnology Leader for Ultra-High Precision
Motion and Positioning
The Broadest and Deepest Portfolio
The technological scope of the PI Group is unique worldwide. PI develops, manufactures and qualifies all its core technologies itself. Thus PI is independent of components available on the market and offers individual solutions that go beyond thestate of the art. Through its high measure of flexibility, PI plays a pioneering role in precision positioning and enables PI
customers to benefit from distinct competitive advantages.
The aim of the PI Group is to expand its pioneering role on the world market through advanced positioning solutions. The
broad spectrum of technology and the high vertical range of manufacturing available at PI are the basis for further growthand expansion. Novel drive concepts, products and system solutions have led to a continuous growth in market shares anda healthy company development in the past years.

PI transfers its broad technological spectrum
to ultra-precisionultra precision products

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MOTION|POSITIONING

Product Overview

PIEZO ACTUATORS AND COMPONENTS,
PRELOADED PIEZO ACTUATORS
Large Variety of Versions, Position Feedback, UHV Option,
High Dynamics, Sub-Millisecond Response Time, Picometer Resolution

PICMA® multilayer piezo actuators

Preloaded and guided piezo actuators

PIEZO SCANNERS AND POSITIONERS
Nanometer Resolution and Millisecond Response Time

Dynamic steering mirrors

Technology for up to six axes:
Flexure guidings, capacitive position
feedback, PICMA® piezo actuators

Piezo scanners:
Fast and precise positioning

PRECISION LINEAR ACTUATORS AND DIRECT DRIVESLong-Term Stability

Piezomotor linear drive

PiezoMike for long-term positioning
without drift

High-load actuators with up to 400 N force
for industrial automation tasks

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PRECISION LINEAR STAGES
From Miniature Positioning Stage to 1 m Travel

Millimeter size, nanometer resolution:
Miniature stages with piezomotors

High-precision stages

ROTATION STAGES
Ultra-precision Stages or Miniature Form Factor

Ultra-precise with air bearings

Piezomotor miniature rotation stages

HEXAPOD AND SPACEFAB
Parallel Kinematics for Precision Positioning in Six Axes

Precision Hexapods

Vacuum versions to 10-9 hPa

High-load Hexapods to 1000 kg load capacity

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System SuccessTailor-Made Full Instrumentation
for Nanotomography
At the X-ray light source PETRA III at the DESY research center (German Electron Synchrotron) in Hamburg, Germany,
the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht – Center for Materials and Coastal Research (HZG) operates the Imaging Beamline P05. The nanotomography endstation on this beamline is designed for nanotomography with a spatial resolution
down to 100 nm.

Experimental setup of nanotomography at the P05 beamline, PETRA III, DESY research center (German Electron Synchrotron)in Hamburg, Germany (Image: PI / HZG)

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To obtain results on that level a high mechanical stability and precise positioning
in the 10 nm-range is required. The instrumentation of P05 beamline had to meethighest demands for mechanical optimization including the selection of adequate
feedback sensors and careful selection of all components.

X-ray optics configuration for imaging
where the sample is positioned in frontof the optics (Image: HZG)

Mechanical Stability Combined with User Flexibility
The full instrumentation setup is based on a 6.8 m long granite bench to minimize
the influence of vibrations, topped by four individually moving platforms for sample and detector stages, and X-ray optics for imaging or cone beam configurations.
The substructure itself, which weighs several tons, is also on air bearings. This
allows the entire assembly to be moved out of the X-ray beam with minimal effort
when the second experimental station is to be used, while maintaining a stable
position as soon as the air flow is switched off.
All moving platforms are themselves mounted on air bearings and driven by linear motors. This allows fast and precise positioning of all components.
A Complex Task: Positioning the Sample with Nanometer Precision

The whole assembly is moved to theparking position outside the beam on
air bearings (Image: PI / HZG)

A particular challenge was the construction of the sample stage, since it had to bemechanically stable in the range below 100 nm, in order to achieve the required
spatial resolution, to ensure that always the same volume element is investigatedwhen the sample is rotating.
The basis is a horizontal positioning unit which moves the sample stage into thebeam. It has a travel range of 20 mm, can be subjected to a load of 300 kg andworks with a repeatability of 30 nm at sample position. Stepper motors, precisioncrossed roller bearings and high-resolution optical linear encoders combined withan adequate motion controller allow closed-loop increments of a few nanometers.

PETRA III is today the most brilliant
X-ray source worldwide (Image: DESY /Reimo Schaaf)

Watch details on youtube

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System Success

Ultra-precision sample positioning: Z stage, air-bearing rotation stage and a de-coupled 6-axis sample holder (left). The sample holder itself
is located in the aperture of the rotation stage on the moving platform of a six-axis parallel kinematics (right) (Image: PI / HZG)Height adjustment is done with three lifting elements that are also responsible for tilt correction and orthogonal alignment
relative to the beam. It is based on three identical, symmetrically arranged, worm-gear spindle drives combined withlinear scales for direct position feedback.
Mounted on this Z stage is an air-bearing supported rotation stage. What was required was a really „pure“ rotary motion of
the sample with minimal wobble, radial runout or eccentricity. Only in this case can sharp pictures over 360 degrees be madewhich all refer to the same volume element and can all be clearly assigned when reconstructing the picture. This is why therotation stage uses frictionless air bearings to rotate with flatness deviations of less than 100 nm at a resolution of 0.5 μrad.
Sample Holder and Optics Adjustment Using Parallel Kinematics
The sample holder itself is located in the aperture of the rotation stage on the moving platform of a six-axis parallel-kinematic SpaceFAB robotics machine. Essential features are the freely selectable pivot point of the parallel-kinematic system
and its high stiffness.
The SpaceFAB clearly makes work easier for the researchers, since the small samples – only a few 10 to 100 micrometers insize – plus the holder can initially be inserted into the stage with low precision. They can then be aligned using
software commands, not requiring any additional mechanical components for correct alignment.

Watch details on youtube

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X-Ray Scanning Microscopewith Unrivalled Resolution
The Hard X-ray Micro/Nano-Probe beamline P06 at PETRA III provides advanced visualisation with micro/nanoscopic
spatial resolution using different X-ray techniques. In the Nanoprobe hutch, coherent diffraction imaging applying ptychographic scanning schemes enables X-ray microscopy with increased spatial resolution down to the low nanometer range.
Due to the extraordinary brilliance of the PETRA light source, measurements could already be done with spatial resolutionof 10 nm only.
No Errors Allowed when Positioning the Detector
A large-scale rotation stage allows to select the different detectors for the particular X-ray techniques. This is carried bya long-stroke XYZ substructure with only minimal vibration influences and tilting errors. The XYZ stage was made from
granite to ensure evenness and long-term stability as well as decoupling from environmental influences like vibrations. It
provides 2000 mm × 1000 mm × 100 mm linear displacement while the overall position deviation is better than 14 μm.
The allowed pitch error was limited to 50 μrad over the full stroke of 2000 mm. Position repeatability if accessed fromarbitrary directions is ±1 μm. On-site commissioning and start-up operation were done by PI.

The 2000 mm stage proves an overall
position deviation of 14 μm, with abidirectional repeatability below ±1 μm

View of the granite XYZ stage with detectors on top (Image: PI / DESY)

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System Success

Optics Hutch Instrumentation

Vacuum chamber design for limited space inside the optics hutch: a sliding door enables access to the instrumentation inside(All images: PI / HZG / DESY)

At the PETRA III light source, located at DESY research centersite in Hamburg, Germany, the P05 Imaging Beamline is operated
by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG).

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W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O MApart from the monochromators and standard optical and diagnostic components
like apertures or beam position monitors a large vacuum tank for X-ray lenses anda related aperture is included in the optics hutch. These optics are required for
creating a virtual source necessary to operate the nanotomography experimental
hutch.
The tank can also hold a diffuser, should this be necessary to reduce beam inhomogeneity or to decrease the degree of coherence.
Vacuum Chamber by PI
The vacuum chamber was designed at PI from the scratch. The limited space inside
the hutch set strong constraints on the outer dimensions, while inside the tank,there was the demand for very many moving axes.
The chamber design includes a sliding door for easy maintenance and provides
0.5 m3 of space. It is made from stainless steel and holds a vacuum of 10-8 hPa.
Other features are external reference points for absolute alignment, a manually
adjustable chamber stand, and a manually adjustable decoupled base inside thevacuum.

components. The synchrotron beam
passes through the aperture in thecustomized platform and an opening
in the mechanical support

Motion and Positioning Equipment for 10-8 hPa
The instrumentation inside the vacuum tank included requirements for four
degrees-of-freedom lens alignment and long-stroke positioning of an aperture in
the focus. Essential for the application is a long-term position stability combinedwith a very high positioning resolution. All motion axes had to be decoupledfrom the chamber. For motion control, a common electronics and software platform was chosen, so all axes are controlled over the same user interface which
can be integrated in the hutch’s TANGO software environment.
For lens alignment, a parallel-kinematic 6-DOF SpaceFAB robotics was chosen,that allows flexible setting of the pivot point by software. The very stiff design is
low-profile and provides the required travel ranges of 50 mm (X), 3 mm (Y) and
20 mm (Z) with a linear resolution of 1 μm. Tilting adjustment in all angles can bedone over ±2.5 degrees with a resolution of 0.0003°.

SpaceFAB advantage: A long stroke in
X allows to place the platform with thelens outside of the beam

The aperture can be positioned over 500 mm stroke with 10 μm resolution using
a customized UHV stage. All axes use UHV-compatible stepper motors.

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System Success

High-Precision Spatial Positioning of Flat,
Extended Objects for Laminography
In a joint project, the ANKA (Angströmquelle Karlsruhe) at KIT (Karlsruhe Institute for Technology, Germany), the Fraunhofer IZFP (Institute for Non-destructive Testing Methods, Germany) Saarbrücken / Dresden, Germany, and the X-ray
synchrotron source ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France) developed synchrotron laminography, which allows high-resolution 3D imaging on large flat objects. As an example the method is used for examination ofcomposite materials used in wind turbines or in aerospace, for research on their inner structures before, during and after
failure. The instrument has been in operation since 2007 at the Beamline ID19 of the ESRF. By means of so-called phase
contrast methods it was also possible to successfully examine structures without absorption contrast. At ANKA, the newly
commissioned IMAGE Beamline will provide the same method of analysis.
Maximum Demands on Stability and Precision
In laminography, the sample is scanned under rotation around an axis tilted with respect to the beam direction. The volumedata can be reconstructed from the different projections. For this purpose, the sample is positioned between the X-ray
source and the detector. The requirements are for utmost stability and precision in positioning both detector and sample
in this inclined geometry.

Setup of the detector and sample positioning systems as integrated at Beamline ID 19 at the ESRF (Image: PI, Fraunhofer EZRT, ESRF)

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A)

B)

> 30 mRotations
axis

ion
tat
Ro xis
a

CCD

CCD
ple

θ

X-ray
sourcem
Sa

SampleMultilayer
monochromator

Rotation stage

Rotation
stage

GoniometersystemPrinciple arrangement of computed laminography at the Beamline ID 19 at the ESRF
(Image: ESRF)

10-axis sample positioner, inclined 45°
to the beam

The repeatability of sample positioning following the beam reference measurement has been specified and measured at less than 0.5 μm. Rotation eccentricity
also is less than 0.5 μm. This is important so that the various projection angles
have the same projected rotation center. At lower accuracy, artefacts would occur
during reconstruction.

Above, a 360° rotating table enables
0.24 μm absolute flatness deviation
only. The angle of the sample relative
to the X-ray beam can be adjusted by
up to 45° at a resolution of 0.001°. This
design has a self-locking rack and pinion drive to remain stable during examination.

Positioning Samples with Sub-Micrometer Accuracy
The angle at which the sample is rotated with respect to the synchrotron X-ray
beam needs to be adjustable, while the lateral position of the sample itself allows
the choice of the region of interest, securely and repeatably.
The solution is a six-axis parallel-kinematic SpaceFAB underneath rotation andtilting stages on which the actual sample carrier is placed. Essential SpaceFAB
features are the freely selectable pivot point and its high stiffness. The linear
travel ranges are 150 mm × 150 mm × 50 mm, at 0.2 μm position resolution, ±12.5°
tilting is possible for the axial angle, and ±5° for the other directions. Precision isprovided by optical linear encoders and the high-precision mechanical components which are driven by a combination of stepper motors and ball screws.

The actual sample holder, an extremely
thin frame carrier, is held magnetically, a flexure joint and air cushion provide optimal parallelism. Two linear
stages shift and center the sample holder over 150 mm × 150 mm but do nottouch it during operation.

Watch details on youtube

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System SuccessFull-Field X-Ray Microscope

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At the Beamline U41-TXM of the electron storage ring BESSY II (HelmholtzZentrum Berlin, Germany), a novel full-ﬁeld transmission X-ray microscope(TXM) for the soft X-ray range was set up for the characterization of thenanostructure, chemical nature, and composition of materials on a 10 nm scale.
Additionally to nanotomography, a fluorescence light microscope has beendeveloped that allows correlative microscopy on the same sample even undercryogenic conditions.
Positioning the Condenser Optics
The condenser optics of the X-ray microscope is a glass capillary that focuses thehigh-energy synchrotron beam to a spot of about 1 μm diameter.
This capillary is positioned using a 7-axis positioning system consisting of a longrange linear stage with a 6-axis SpaceFAB on top. The synchrotron beam passes
through the aperture to the capillary condenser optics. Due to the high-vacuum
environment of 10-7 hPa, all axes are equipped with vacuum-compatible stepper
motors. Excellent position repeatability and high stiffness were essential toachieve the required accuracy. The high position stability can be achieved despite
a 50 Hz modulation frequency at the tip.
The SpaceFAB’s parallel-kinematics design allows for arbitrary setting of the pivot
point by software commands. Thus, the operation can be adapted for different
focusing optics easily.

Inside the vacuum chamber: SpaceFAB mounted on top of linear stage(Image: BESSY, HZB)SpaceFAB Technical Data
■ Travel range 10 mm × 10 mm

Incorporated Fluorescence Light Microscope
Integrated in the same vacuum chamber is a setup for fluorescence light detection.
Both analytical methods can thus be performed on the same sample under identical conditions, allowing new insights on the structure.
This setup was commissioned as an addition to the already existing microscope,and thus had to follow the extra limitation to fit into the vacuum chamber. PI designed and delivered the full setup ready to fit into the vacuum chamber, fromlight funnel to objective positioning to filter change system.

× 10 mm, plus linear stage
LS-110 100 mm■ Angular range ±5°■ Resolution < 100 nm,< 10 μrad, open loop
■ Environment HV 10 –7 hPa■ Temperature of samples

between cryogenic and 120°

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Components Success

Dynamic Compensation of Lorentz Forcesat the XFEL Accelerator Structures
The particle accelerator XFEL at the
DESY (German Electron Synchrotron)
uses acceleration technology based onsuper-conducting acceleration structures, so-called resonators or cavities.
This technology developed for the linear collider TESLA (Tera Electron Volt
Energy Super-Conducting Linear Accelerator) allows the generation of aparticle beam with a very small beamcross-section and high beam power.
One very important factor is to keep theacceleration field strength at a constantly high leve.

A detrimental effect lies in the acceleration principle itself. The electrons are accelerated in the resonator by electromagnetic fields. The resulting Lorentz force also
acts on the walls of the acceleration structure, leading to small deformations,which in turn shift the resonant frequency of the resonators, thus deteriorating theenergy transfer to the electrons. This results in higher energy demand and poorer
repeatability of the particle beam.
PICMA® Piezo Actuators Reduce Shift in Frequency
PICMA® multilayer piezo actuators work at about four Kelvin directly at the outerwall of the resonator. At these temperatures, the actuator displacement is significantly lower than at room temperature. This effect can be easily predicted andbe taken into account when designing the system.
In this cryogenic environment, which is additionally exposed to radiation, the actuators are operated over a long period of use of about 20 years. PI has supplied theactuators already mounted in a preloaded holder, which ensures easy installation.

PICMA® multilayer actuators connected to the cavities in a test stand for qualification at DESY. (Images: XFEL / DESY)18

W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O MCompact Linear Stage
Positions X-Ray Detectors
Analyzing the Interactions of FEL Synchrotron Radiation with Matter
The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), part of the SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center), is a free-electron laser source (FEL) and produces synchrotron
radiation of extremely high brilliance. With its radiation, a wide range of new
experiments can be effected, e.g. in nonlinear X-ray physics and for single-shot
imaging of nanometer structures. At the Atomic, Molecular & Optical Science
Beamline (AMO) an experiment to give insight into the interaction of FEL synchrotron radiation with atoms, molecules and clusters is currently being set up.
Reactions that are triggered by laser radiation in the sample are examined using
electron and ion spectroscopies or X-ray diffraction. For simultaneously recording
scattered X-ray photons on the one hand, and ions and electrons from the interaction of the intense X-ray pulses with the sample on the other hand, a pnCCD
camera, which is highly sensitive to X-rays, has to be positioned very precisely
and with highest repeatability. The camera records an entire spectrum on one pixel
at very high frame rates of 1000 images per second. Due to the parallel architecture of the detector, the main laser beam can pass between the detector parts
without damaging them.

View into the vacuum chamber with the
integrated PI stage (Image: SLAC National
Accelerator Laboratory)

Precisely Tuned to X-Ray Scattering
For positioning the two detectors, PI developed a compact linear stage that features a guiding and two separate moving plates. The detectors are able to moveindependently over a travel range of 50 mm heading towards the 0 „closed“ position; the maximum distance between the detectors is 100 mm. The motion of
the platforms is controlled by an absolute measuring linear encoder with 50 nm
resolution.
When positioning both detectors accordingly, the scattered X-rays can be recorded
at a wide angle range and can be evaluated spatially and spectrally. The linear
stage is designed for ultra-high vacuum to 10–9 hPa and is made of stainless steel.

A compact tailor-made linear stage
positions the X-ray detectors

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Components Success

Double-Crystal Monochromator
for an X-Ray Spectrometer

The two stages with PiezoWalk® drive and their controllers in the setup (Image: ESRF)

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High-Precision Bragg and Tilt Angle Adjustment
At the Nuclear Resonance beamline (ID18) at ESRF, France, a double spectrometerfor inelastic X-ray scattering is installed since 2012. Phonon excitation states insolid are investigated with the help of two monochromators that select the desired
wavelengths with an energy resolution of 0.5 meV and 2 meV.

PiezoWalk® piezo-based drives makeffor compact, hi
high-resolutionhl i
positioii
ners

Each of the monochromators consists of four independent crystals arranged inpairs. The first pair of crystals collimates the beam, while the second pair selects
the beam of the required energy. The width of the respective rocking curves is a
few microradian only. To operate in the curve’s maximum, i.e. with maximum
intensity, the relative angle of the crystals in both pairs has to be adjusted with aresolution of 0.5 microradian or better.
Precise Re-Adjustment of the Crystals
In the course of an experiment, users may need a fast characterization of theirsamples with a moderate resolution of 2 meV and a high flux and then to selectsamples for precise measurements with an ultra-high energy resolution of
0.5 meV. This requires a fast exchange of the two monochromators with precise
re-adjustments of the Bragg and tilt angles for all four crystals.
Positioning the Crystals Places Exceptionally High Demands
To adjust the Bragg and tilt angle, the crystals had to be moved and positioned
with high precision. Additionally excellent long-term stability and very good repeatability were required, while the stages themselves needed to fit into a very limited
space.

Design of the double monochromatorfor ID18. The upper crystals are fixed,
the angular position of the lower ones
are adjusted using a PI PiezoWalk® tiptilt stage (Image: ESRF)

PI’s proprietary piezo-based PiezoWalk® drives with their sophisticated controller
provided a perfect-fit solution. Their excellent resolution of 0.1 μrad only in both
Bragg and tilt angle, and a repeatability of < 0.1 μrad over a 12 μrad range evenexceeded the demands. In combinations with capacitive position feedback
sensors that are attached directly to the moving platform, they allow for along-term position stability well under 0.1 μrad, while the stage’s footprint of
95 mm × 78 mm × 32 mm stays very compact.
In a future step, the PI stages’ angular stroke of ±2 mrad will be used to carry out
a synchronized motion to vary the energy selection of the X-ray beam.

1 hour position stability of the PiezoWalk® stages: Angular position is kept
with a deviation below 0.1 microradian21

MOTION|POSITIONING

Components Success

High-Load Positioning at Material
Science Beamline
P07 or HEMS (High Energy Materials Science Beamline) is one of the first operational lines on the PETRA III light source at DESY, Germany. Since 2010, P07 facilitates diffraction and imaging experiments such as tomography in the high-energy
X-ray range of 30 to 200 keV. In-house and development activities are shared by
DESY and Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG).
In experimental station EH3, HZG has specialized in materials research associatedwith engineering science. For example, complex and dynamic in-situ measurements are conducted of the material properties that occur during reshaping processes such as welding, cutting or heat treatment. The investigation using X-ray
radiation indicates the chronological sequence of effects at crystalline level inmicrometer-sized domain areas. The infrastructure enables large and heavy sample environments to be created, as well as process chambers, also for external
users.
Here, the Hexapod positions a chamber
for laser-welding in the beam (Image: PI /HZG)

Complete engine blocks, turbine components, sinter furnaces and cryogenic chambers as well as welding fixtures or other machining units need to be aligned precisely for the planned investigations and to be moved accordingly during theanalysis. For this purpose a heavy-duty PI Hexapod is used.
Hexapod Positions One Ton in Six Axes with Micrometer Resolution
The parallel-kinematic custom model in use delivers micrometer-precision positioning for loads of up to one ton. It stands approx. 700 mm high and has a diameter of 800 mm (top platform with large aperture) and 900 mm (bottom). The
lower platform is installed on a 360° rotation table and the cabling was designed
to be dragchain-compatible. With its high load capacity of up to one ton, the Hexapod can carry the entire measurement setup including the device where mechanical forces are applied. The Hexapod positions even these large masses overdistances of 400 mm to a precision of ±1 μm, and executes rotational movementsof ±20° with a resolution to 0.5 μrad.
Despite the high forces, the position reached is held in a stable manner; thebrushless DC motors integrated in the Hexapod struts are equipped with brakes.

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Sample Positioning in High Vacuum
Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) In-situ Characterization Using Synchrotron Beams
At the NANO Beamline of the ANKA Synchrotron Radiation Facility (Karlsruhe, Germany), X-ray diffraction and reflectionsof the synchrotron radiation can be used to investigate the structural properties of thin films under high-vacuum conditions
as part of modern material research.
For direct use in the beamline, an all-in-one system has been developed where pulsed laser light is used to take the solid
target to the gas phase and then deposit it as a layer on a substrate. One characteristic of the beamline PLD system is thelaser heating, which can heat the substrates up to 1200 °C, and the simple loading. A special feature is the sample manipulator, which allows due to its small size a wide angle range of the X-rays even at low substrate heights.
Hexapod in the Sample Manipulator
In the sample manipulator, a Hexapod, designed by PI for use in high vacuum, positions the samples, i.e. 10 mm × 10 mm
substrates, relative to the incident X-rays. This allows the sample to be tilted by ±5° around the X and Y axes at a resolutionof 0.001°. In addition, to compensate for different layer thicknesses, it can be moved in the direction of the Z axis, i.e., vertically to the sample surface, by up to 3 mm. Motions of + / 6 mm in the X and Y directions allow scans at different positionsof the sample surface. The Hexapod is mounted on a rotary stage, which can perform further positioning tasks if required.

The sample manipulator allows a wide incident angle range of the X-rays due to its small size even at low substrate heights (Image: SURFACE)

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Components Success

Tomography and Holography Endstation
The Beamline P10 for Coherence Applications beneﬁts from the outstanding brilliance of the PETRA III X-ray lightsource at the DESY research center in Hamburg, Germany. The ﬂux of coherent synchrotron radiation exceeds thatdelivered by existing storage ring based sources. P10 operates in the medium to hard X-ray regime (5 keV to 25 keV).
The Institute for X-Ray Physics of Göttingen, Germany, operates a Holography Endstation at beamline P10. Their main researchaims are directed at the structure, the collective dynamics, the self-assembly and the interactions of biological macromolecules. A particular approach is based on X-ray waveguide optics, enabling the highly localized delivery of X-rays and aquasi-point source for holographic imaging. Thus, spot sizes down to 10 nm have been achieved, and now such X-ray nanobeams can be used for spatially resolved diffraction, and as quasi point sources for holographic imaging.
Scanning with Nanometer Repeatability
PI has provided for the motorized sample positioning setup. A stacked system of XYZ linear axes equipped with stepper
motors are used for aligning the rotation axis in the X-ray beam and for distance variation between the waveguide and thesample. Above, a 360 degree high-precision, air-bearing, rotation stage is used for tomography. Upon this basis, a highresolution XYZ piezo stage for ultra-fine positioning over a stroke of up to 400 μm is used to adjust the sample exactly inthe center of rotation, and also enables ultra-high-precision XYZ-scans. With this, on-the-fly measurements of live cells are
perfomed scanning an area of 100 μm × 100 μm. A special linearization software inside the digital piezo controller allows fora tracking repeatability in the nanometer range.

The sample positioning setup inside the holography endstation (right). Left: PI’s XYZ piezo stage holding a piezoelectric sample for investigations
on collective lipid bilayer dynamics excited by surface acoustic waves endstation (Image: M. Osterhoff, Institute for X-Ray Physics, Georg-AugustUniversity Göttingen)24

W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O M

Sample Adjustment inside a Five-Circle
Diffractometer
At Diamond Light Source, UK, beamline I07 is a high-resolution X-ray diffraction
beamline dedicated to investigate the structure of surfaces and interfaces under
different environmental conditions, including, for example, semiconductors andbiological films.
In the center of a five-circle diffractometer, the samples are mounted on a Hexapod
which provides height adjustment and any other alignment required. The requirements were challenging: Load may easily sum up to 50 kg, while the mounting
space within the diffractometer limited the overall height of the Hexapod to
290 mm. Since the Hexapod would operate with horizontally or vertically oriented
baseplate, the stiffness of the system was deciding.

The Hexapod, mounted inside thediffractometer at Beamline I07, provides
linear motion to ±15 mm and angularstroke to ±10° (Image: Diamond Light
Source)High-Precision, Long-Term Positioningat 10 –7 hPa
The ADvanced RESonant Spectroscopy (ADRESS) beamline at the Swiss Light
Source (SLS) is a high-performance soft-X-ray undulator beamline operating in
the energy range from 300 eV to 1.6 keV. Its RIXS endstation, for Resonant Inelastic
X-ray Scattering, is based on SAXES, a high resolution spectrometer for soft X-raysin the 400 – 1600 eV energy range, jointly developed by the Paul Scherrer Institute and the Politecnico di Milano.
The experimental setup uses a VLS (variable line spacing) grating which can be
angularly re-positioned to minimize a deterioration of the spectral linewidth byhigher order optical aberrations when operating at more than one energy. For thistask, a system was designed to move and position the grating in several degrees
of freedom: pitch for changing angle, rolling, vertical positioning, and horizontaltransverse movement to allow the use of a second, selectable grating.
High accuracy of motion was demanded: Z alignment 32 mm and crystal selection
155 mm with 1 μm resolution each, angular motion over ±5 degrees with a resolution of 20 μrad. Additionally, the whole system needs to be stable over longterms in a vacuum environment of 10–7 hPa.

High expectations to meet: Stacked
4-axis4
axis positioning of the grating in
UHV to 10-7 hPa

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MOTION|POSITIONING

Components Success

Sample Positioning in Cryogenic
High-Vacuum Environment
For research on climate change and glaciology based on dust contained in deep ice core samples from Antarctica and Alps
both cold and contamination-free sample environments were required. The instrument operates at cryogenic temperaturesof –50 °C in a high-vacuum chamber (10 –7 hPa).
X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence and X-Ray Diffraction experiments were performed to investigate thestructure and the composition of dust. The analysis required a mapping of the extremely complex and inhomogeneous
surface of the samples with a precision in the micrometer range. The task was solved using a SpaceFAB positioning robotthat provides motion with six degrees of freedom in all linear and angular directions. Tailored for use in high vacuum, theSpaceFAB is very compact, equipped with vacuum-compatible stepper motors, and adapted for use in a temperature rangeof –50 to +80 °C.
The experiment was part of the CryoAlp project at INFN LNF, Frascati, Italy. Part of this research was carried out at SSRL, anational user facility operated by Stanford University on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy
Sciences.

SpaceFAB Technical Specifications
Active axes: X, Y, Z, θX, θY, θZ
Motion range: ±25 mm (X,Z) ±12.5 mm (Y) ±5° (θX, θY, θZ)Z) ±20 μrad (θX, θY, θZ)
Bidirectional repeatability: ±0.5 μm (X,Y,Z)
Minimum operating pressure: 10–7 hPa
Operating temperature range: –50 / +80 °C
C
Maximum load: 1 kg
Drives: Vacuum-compatible stepper motors
orsAbsolute position accuracy has been measasured to 10 μm (linear) and 50 μrad (angular),ar),with a repeatability of 100 nm and 10 μradd
only. The interferometric tests showed anaverage static stability of up to 20 nm overer
mi1 minute, which allows for thorough examination of the samples.

26

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Full-ﬁeld Soft X-ray
Transmission Microscope
SpaceFAB for Ultra-fine Positioning of the Sample
The Beamline 6.1.2 (XM-1) at Advanced Light Source (ALS), Berkeley*, is dedicated to X-ray microscopy and research on nanoscale
magnetism.
The sample has to be positioned outside the vacuum, but very close
to the beam exit window to avoid absorption in air; “close” being
on a scale of some hundreds of micrometers. The spatial resolutionof the X-ray beam is 10 nm, so position resolution was requested in
the same range.
The solution was a customized 6-degrees-of-freedom SpaceFAB
design using stepper motors for excellent position control, plus
an elevation stage with down to 50 nm resolution to position thesample in the direction of the beam.
* The Center for X-Ray Optics is a multi-disciplined research group within Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory‘s (LBNL) Materials Sciences Division (MSD).

Positioning a Vacuum Chamber
for X-ray Diffraction Experiments
At Sweden’s MAXlab, at storage ring MAX II, Beamline I811 is dedicated to materials science research with X-ray absorption spectroscopy and surface science dedicated X-ray diffraction experiments.
For surface, interface, thin film and general X-ray scattering experiments a multipurpose diffractometer is available. Mounted on thediffractometer, an H-850 (formerly M-850) standard Hexapod is used
to align the vacuum chamber with the sample in the beam. With its
six degrees of freedom, it positions a chamber of 20 to 50 kg with arepeatability of below 1 μm in any orientation.
Here, the PI Hexapod carries a UHV chamber for crystallographic experiments in high-energy X-rays (Image:Beamline I811, MAXlab, Lund, Sweden, UHV chamber:Dr. J. Alvarez, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain)

27

MOTION|POSITIONING

Components Success

Slit Control in the Photon Delivery System

View of the setup (Image: PI / courtesy of SSRF)

At the SSRF (Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai,
China), XZ positioning systems control the optical slits to prepare
the beam for experimental tasks. The slit system is working underambient conditions.

Stacked XZ Stages

The XZ systems consist of two stacked, high-load, motor-spindlestages that have been customized to position loads of up to 800 N
over a range of 50 mm (X) × 20 mm (Z). The stages are equippedwith 2-phase stepper motors and are self-locking. Their costeffective design includes limit and reference switches.

28

W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O M

Sample Positioning for Micro-CT
BAM, the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing („Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung“), operates a hard X-ray beamline at
the Berlin electron storage ring BESSY II („Berliner Elektronen-Speicherring Gesellschaft für Synchrotronstrahlung“) together with the German national institutefor metrology, PTB („Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt“). The „BAMline“ isintended for X-ray fluorescence analysis, micro-computed tomography, X-ray
topography, detector calibration and reflectometry.
Projections for X-ray computed tomography are taken from different angles over
180 ° to collect all data for the reconstruction, while synchrotron radiaton micro-CT
requires extremely high precision to ensure that the recorded information always
relates to the same volume element. Therefore, the requests for a sample rotation
stage were high:■ Highest guiding accuracy■ Flatness and eccentricity < ±100 nm■ Wobble < 2 μrad
■ Load capacity 20 kg

PI selected an ultra-precision air-bearing rotation stage to answer these demands.
Qualification in-house was executed with capacitive sensors.

UPR-120 Rotation stage
with air bearings

Tomography Stage for Cryogenic
SamplesThis setup, located at the P06 beamline of PETRAIII at DESY (Germany) allows toinvestigate samples that require both cooling and vacuum environment.
The sample is positioned using a stacked system of three standard, vacuum-compatible, PI linear stages for XYZ with a 360 degree rotation stage on top. Finealignment of the sample in XYZ axes is done with an assembly of proprietarypiezo motor stages that are equally vacuum-compatible. The setup allows for cooling the sample to the level of liquid nitrogen.
In addition to the motion and positioning elements, also the vacuum feedthroughs
were designed and manufactured by PI.

29

MOTION|POSITIONINGA M ERIC A

GER MA N Y

PI USAPI Karlsruhe
PI Ceramic
PI miCosEUR O PEPI UK
PI France
PI ItalymiCos Iberia

USA
ALS Advanced Light Source
LBNL Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
ANL Argonne National Laboratory

GER MA N Y

APS Advanced Photon Source

EUROP ESLAC Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

ESRF European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (FR)LCLS Linac Coherent Light Source

SLS Swiss Light Source (CH)LLNL Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

PSI Paul Scherrer Institut (CH)FERMILABCERN European Organization for Nuclear Research (CH)JPL Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA)MAX IV Laboratory (SE)MSL Mars Science Laboratory

Diamond Light Source (UK)

BESSY Berliner Elektronenspeicherring
Gesellschaft für Synchrotronstrahlung mbH

ORNL Oak Ridge National Laboratory

INFN Istituto Nazionale die Fisica Nucleare (IT)HZB Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin

BNL Brookhaven National Laboratory

SOLEIL (FR)European XFEL X-ray Free Electron Laser

30

W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O M

DESY Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
HZG Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht
PETRA III Positron-Elektron-Ring-Anlage III
ANKA Angströmquelle Karlsruhe
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

Advanced Research
All Over The WorldAS I A
PI Japan
PI Shanghai
PI Singapore
PI Korea

Worldwide, more than 50 synchrotron and FEL light sources arein operation. Attached to them there are several hundreds ofbeamlines with experimental endstations, each equipped toserve their special task in today’s most challenging applications
from fundamental research to applied science.
Research groups from solid state physics to art history, from
biology and crystallography to surface inspection and materialscience make use of high-energy X-ray beams.
The methods of the individual experiments show great variation, or combine the different techniques for non-destructive
methods often down to atomic scale: Lithography, tomography,
diffraction, spectroscopy, microscopy, imaging, and many more.

Well-Positioned
The PI Group is present in all key technology regions worldwide with local representations around the globe. We offer:■ Service facilities and metrology equipment■ R&D departments■ Construction in close contact with customers■ Sales and application experts for the entire productportfolio■ Market and business development experts

Acknowledgements
We wish to thank the following research
institutes for cooperating in publishing
this brochure:
DESY Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron
AS I A
SSRF Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facilities (CN)PAL Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (KR)PSI Paul Scherrer Institut
MAX IV Laboratory
Diamond Light Source

HZG Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht

INFN Istituto Nazionale die Fisica
NucleareBESSY Berliner Elektronenspeicherring
Gesellschaft für Synchrotronstrahlung
mbH

SACLA XFEL (JP)ESRF European Synchrotron Radiation
Facility

European XFELKIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

SPring-8 (JP)Institute for X-Ray Physics,
Georg-August-University Göttingen

LBNL Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
ANL Argonne National Laboratory
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

31

MOTION|POSITIONINGMOTION|POSITIONING

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W W W. B E A M L I N E I N S T R U M E N TAT I O N . C O M

BRO39E Beamline Instrumentation 12/2014. 2.5 Subject to change without notice. © Physik Instrumente (PI) GmbH & Co. KG 2014

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