Line scan-based high-speed position tracking inside the SEM

Abstract

Efficient visual servoing using scanning electron microscope feedback is a key challenge for high-throughput nanomanipulation. A novel position tracking approach bypasses image acquisition using dedicated line scans to detect the movement of a nanoobject or reference pattern. With a custom scan generator, update rates over 1 kHz are achieved and objects are tracked with an accuracy up to 10 nm over long travel ranges. Integrated into a microrobotic control infrastructure, the tracking approach facilitates high-speed closed-loop position and trajectory control. Evaluation measurements demonstrate the closed-loop positioning of a nanohandling robot in a few tens of milliseconds paving the way for industrial applications. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.