A conceptual development of novel ultra-precision dimensional measurement technology

This research explores the unique physical phenomenon of electrical output versus displacement of a potentiometer with the view of nano-scope. Based on the interesting characters of the phenomenon, a novel conceptual development of ultra-precision dimensional measurement technology is carried out. As an example, a potentiometer and a stack of piezoelectric elements are adopted to build a dual-stage ultra-precision measurement instrument. The theoretical error analysis with the research demonstrates that an instrument developed with this novel ultra-precision dimensional measurement technology is able to achieve low double-digital nanometer absolute measurement accuracy over a large dimensional range. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.