Active Vibration Isolation for a Long-Range Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Published

June 1, 2004

Author(s)

K J. Lan, J Y. Yen, John A. Kramar

Abstract

Vibration Isolation or control is critical for the optimum operation of the Molecular Measuring Machine (M3), a high-resolution, length-metrology instrument at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This paper describes the extension of the M3 Mallock suspension system from passive to six degrees-of-freedom (DOF) active vibration isolation. System modeling is presented and experimental system identification is carried out for model verification. The paper then compares the vibration isolation performance using a classical proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller versus using a more modern, model-based, Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) controller. Attenuation of 3 dB to 15 dB is achieved within the active vibration isolation control bandwidth, and images taken with the M3 scanning tunneling microscope (STM) probe show the improved performance.

Citation

Asian Journal of Control

Volume

6

Issue

2

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

active vibration isolation, linear-quadratic-gaussian, LQG control, Mallock suspension system, scanning tunneling microscope, STM

Citation

Lan, K. , Yen, J. and Kramar, J. (2004), Active Vibration Isolation for a Long-Range Scanning Tunneling Microscope, Asian Journal of Control (Accessed October 10, 2025)