(ETEL: Schaumburg, IL) -- ETEL has announced that the XYZT Planar Platform is now available in North America through HEIDENHAIN Corporation. The XYZT Planar Platform is a proven, reliable stage with more than 100 units currently in the field worldwide. This system provides excellent dynamic flatness and bi-directional repeatability, making it suitable for a wide range of applications.

The XYZT Planar Platform is a hybrid mechanical/air bearing stage dedicated to step-and-scan applications. The stage is modular and can be outfitted with the components best suited to each individual application. Thanks to the flexibility of the platform, it has been used in wafer process control applications such as critical dimension and thin-film metrology, as well as in wafer scribing and wafer laser thermal annealing.

The hybrid nature of the XYZT Planar Platform allows the user to enjoy the best qualities of both mechanical and air bearings. The mechanical bearings provide high stiffness in the XY plane, allowing for high accelerations (up to 1.2 g) and great bi-directional repeatability (±0.5 µm for the X and Y axes). Thanks to the air bearing, the platform is also able to provide excellent dynamic flatness over the full range of travel.

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