Can I move a macro object at a very small distance (around 10 nm)?

[gggnano]

TL;DR Summary

Just a metal cube or whatever moved nanometer by nanometer?

Let's say I have a "nearly ideal" surface such as silicon wafer with around 5 nm roughness and I place something on it (with similar surface roughness) - then how can I move this object step by step at abysmal distances of just several nanometers, under 50 or so?

I assume bar friction, air/dust/sound/gravity...may be an issue? And even in vacuum what are realistic options even if I'm unable to know the exact result but just feel the effect?

- radiation press. from laser?
- magnet?
- surely not arduino motor? Thank you!

 

[berkeman]

It's sounding more and more like you need to get yourself to a university or community college with a good set lab facilities. Trying to do what you have been asking about in a DIY garage setup is going to be problematical, IMO.

https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...thickness-such-as-10-nm.1017483/#post-6661777

 

[gggnano]

^ Yes, I guess so :). I still don't want to give up since...light is everywhere, it's still local and...real to me:

 

[Nik_2213]

Sounds like a job for piezo driver. IIRC, they are COTS in both linear & rotary form...

 

[Baluncore]

... then how can I move this object step by step at abysmal distances of just several nanometers, ...

Use differential screws to approach the target with a stylus, under an optical microscope.
Use piezoelectric transducers for fine positioning steps and scanning.
You are in the world of the “Atomic Force Microscope”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_force_microscopy

 

[gggnano]

Use differential screws to approach the target with a stylus, under an optical microscope.
Use piezoelectric transducers for fine positioning steps and scanning.
You are in the world of the “Atomic Force Microscope”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_force_microscopy

Very interesting. Just read about the "differential screws" 2-centuries old approach and...

https://hackaday.com/2020/03/21/screwy-math-for-super-fine-adjustments-differential-screws/

So:

"The differential screw in this case started life as a normal M5 bolt with a 0.8 mm thread pitch. [Mark] machined and threaded section of the bolt down to a M4 x 0.7 mm thread. This means he can get 0.1 mm (100 μm) of adjustment per full rotation. By turning the bolt 1/10 rotation, the relative movement comes down to 10 μm."

Easy match suggests 1/100 rotation of 1 micrometer and 10 times scalling the bolt down to 0.1 micrometer or 100 nm I guess another 10 times and it's 'done'...not sure if possible atm but maybe it is - certainly something I need to investigate since I just discovered it...10x again.

 

[Tom.G]

A quick search found one with 5nm resolution:
https://www.thorlabs.com/newgrouppage9.cfm?objectgroup_id=1239


(above found with:
https://www.google.com/search?q=new...&oq=newport+piezo+positioner&aqs=heirloom-srp..)

Cheers,
Tom

 

[gggnano]

^ Within budget, $1100 but if I can't make it work it's still waste of time, I think for the time being i'll do for the shamelessly cheap option involving 3d printed screws (I have 3 3d printers should put them to use...) as well as wafers, transducers and maybe arduino/step motors to control. It's the $500 very cheap amateur version but will see. On a site note - I'm not in America (eastern europe/eu) so...ordering anything from America or China gets stopped at the airport, it works door-to-door within the EU though, such as: the German Amazon.

 

[tech99]

Summary: Just a metal cube or whatever moved nanometer by nanometer?

Let's say I have a "nearly ideal" surface such as silicon wafer with around 5 nm roughness and I place something on it (with similar surface roughness) - then how can I move this object step by step at abysmal distances of just several nanometers, under 50 or so?

I assume bar friction, air/dust/sound/gravity...may be an issue? And even in vacuum what are realistic options even if I'm unable to know the exact result but just feel the effect?

- radiation press. from laser?
- magnet?
- surely not arduino motor? Thank you!

One possibility might be a piezo-electric crystal, or a quartz crystal. This is how VCR recording heads were adjusted very finely.

 

[anorlunda]

Have a look. IBM engineers pushed around individual atoms to make this image. They did it with a scanning tunneling microscope. Study that for more details.