DigiMicro Family Overview
DigiMicro Encoders for Motion Control
DigiMicro Gauges & Accessories
DigiMicro Family Specifications
DigiMicro Price List

Nanowave has worked with Nikon Corp to bring out special versions of their DigiMicro products suitable as position encoders for high-precision motion control. NanoWave is also an authorized North American distributor for the entire family of Nikon's DigiMicro gauges and accessories.

Underlying both versions of DigiMicro products is the same high-quality and widely respected Nikon encoder technology. These are sealed, linear optical encoders using a glass diffraction grating scale attached to a spring loaded plunger. Both versions provide exceptionally high linearity, repeatability and accuracy.

Applications

  • Motion Control
  • Laboratory Instruments
  • Medical Equipment
  • Robotics
  • Industrial Automation
  • Milling Machines
  • Semiconductor Equipment

Features

  • Nanometer Precision
  • Quick easy integration
  • High Reliability and Durable
  • Greater than 1M Cycle operation
  • Standard A Quad B output
  • Rugged extruded aluminum enclosures (MF Series)
  • Rugged stainless enclosures (MH Series)

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The new versions of DigiMicro encoders for use in motion control systems are:

  • MH-12M (with 12 mm travel)
  • MF-501-5V (with 50 mm travel)
  • MF-1001-5V (with 100 mm travel)

These optical linear encoder heads are used with a specially developed Nikon interpolator, the VFU-X1600S, providing a 5 nanometer resolution and the performance required for motion control. The very compact MH-12M was originally developed exclusively for use in Nikon's world-renowned semi-conductor lithography (or "stepper") systems. All of these encoders (including the MH-12M, the MF-501-5V and the MF-1001-5V shown) use a 5 Volt supply voltage, which is supplied externally to the VFU-X1600S whereupon it is passed into the encoder head after further filtering.

Compared to common exposed optical encoders the DigiMicro are more reliable and accurate for applications in dusty or dirty environments, because they are sealed. Even in clean environments accuracy is improved because the alignment of the scale to the read-head is done at the factory and tested for conformance. Installation of these encoders in a motion system is also easier, while also enabling high-precision configurations not possible with traditional exposed encoders.

A configuration of a Nikon DigiMicro encoder (the MH-12M) in a motion control system with a one-dimensional stage is shown in the drawing below. Users only need to have the mechanical plunger pushed against a stable and low friction target. This enables users get the nanomotion operation started quickly from the day they receive the products. And because the plunger can be aligned with the metrology plane of the stage or sample, it is also possible to greatly reduce Abbe errors. Two and three dimensional (XY and XYZ) configurations are also easy to construct using multiple Nikon DigiMicro Encoders, where each encoder is aligned in the metrology plane.

Please download our DigiMicro Brochure , which also includes the specifications for the encoder and interpolators, and mechanical drawings for the encoder heads.

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MH-12M (12mm travel range)

MF-501-5V (50mm travel range)

MF-1001-5V (100mm travel range)

DigiMicro Configuration for Motion Control with Single Axis Stage

VFU-X1600s (5nm resolution interpolator)

These high quality precision measurement instruments are used extensively throughout Japan and Asia, setting the measurement standard for accuracy, but are relatively new in the North American market.

The DigiMicro gauges offered by NanoWave for the North American market include:

  • MF-501 (with 50 mm travel)
  • MF-1001 (with 100 mm travel)

These encoder/gauge heads are used with either the Nikon TC-101 or the MFC-101 interpolator-counter which also provide a human digital read-out and come with their own 12 VDC power supply. The TC-101 provides resolution down to 10 nm. The MFC-101 provides resolution down to 100 nm. (Please note: These interpolator-counters work only with the 12 Volt versions of MF-501 and MF-1001.)

Please download our DigiMicro Brochure , which also includes the specifications for the encoder and interpolators, and mechanical drawings for the encoder/gauge heads.

Also available from NanoWave are a variety of other DigiMicro accessories. These include several different types of probe tips which attach to the end of the plunger, as well as granite and ceramic base stands with a perpendicular mount for the encoder / gauge head. (See below).

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MF501 (50mm travel range) with MS-11 (Stand) and TC-101

MF1001 (100mm travel range) with MS-21 (Stand) and TC-101

The Nikon TC-101 Digital Read Out

Probes (From left: PB-D,PB-E,PB-A)

Probes (From left: PB-D,PB-E,PB-C)

DigiMicro Encoder Heads

DigiMicro Interpolators


Notes: VFU-X1600S is for use only with 5 Volt encoder heads (MH-12M, MF-501-5V and MF-1001-5V). TC-101 and MFC-101 are for use only with 12 Volt encoder heads (MF-501 and MF-1001).

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