6-Axis Alignment System Provides Faster Optics & Photonics Alignment with Virtual Pivot Point and Piezo Precision
Overview

Products - PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P.

6-Axis Alignment System Provides Faster Optics & Photonics Alignment with Virtual Pivot Point and Piezo Precision

6D-NanoCube provides 6-DOF motion, ultra-compact footprint, and high-speed photonics first-light search and alignment algorithms integrated in the controller firmware.

The P-616.65S 6-axis alignment & scanning stage provides great value in photonics and micro-optics alignment, featuring a wear-free flexure guiding system and a controller that enables the user to take advantage of its virtual pivot point.
Video: Matt Price highlights PI’s broad range of precision alignment solutions for photonics probing, test, and assembly applications at Photonics West 2026.
Power distribution of an optical component, acquired with the P-616, E-713 controller and F-712 optical power meter
Video: Showing the operating range of the 6-axis piezo alignment stage
Longer travel ranges in a similarly compact package are available with the F-121 PINovaLite photonic alignment engines, shown here as a bank of 12 units with FAUs.  Typical applications of these compact aligners are found in alignment cells / PIC handlers.

PI’s new P-616.65S 6-axis alignment system – based on a 6-DOF piezo-flexure stage – is ideal for high-speed photonics and micro-optics alignment applications. With 500µm linear travel in X, Y, and Z, a rotational range of 3° in θX, θY, θZ, and true parallel-kinematic 6-DOF motion, the novel platform establishes a new standard for compactness, dynamic performance, and precision in photonics, semiconductor, and microscopy applications. A user programmable virtual pivot point (center of rotation) and high-speed alignment routines built directly into the digital controller firmware further enhance versatility, accelerating setup and throughput.

High Stiffness = High Dynamics and Rapid Step and Settle

Its integrated, rigid, and friction-free flexure structure provides high stiffness—characterized by a resonant frequency of 350 Hz—and enables fast dynamics with rapid step-and-settle performance, ideal for fast scanning and automated multi-channel photonics alignment.

Powered by PICMA® all-ceramic actuators with demonstrated 100-billion-cycle lifetime, the system offers exceptional reliability even in 24/7 high-duty-cycle environments. Closed-loop position control with high-resolution sensors delivers nanometer-level repeatability across all motion axes.

Key Technical Highlights

  • Ultra-compact 6-axis alignment system—small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
  • 500µm travel range in X, Y, and Z
  • 3° rotation in θX, θY, θZ for full 6-DOF adjustment
  • User-selectable pivot point—in software for intuitive multi-axis alignment
  • Nanometer level resolution and repeatability for reduced insertion loss
  • Parallel-kinematic flexure design for uniform stiffness and zero friction
  • Compact aluminum construction, vacuum-compatible, and resistant to shock and vibration

Smart Firmware for Faster Alignment

In combination with PI’s E-713 digital nanopositioning controllers the new NanoCube aligner features embedded high-speed routines for first-light detection, gradient search, coordinate scans, and multi-axis optimization. By eliminating the need for external scripts or PC-side computation, these firmware algorithms significantly shorten alignment times in production workflows.

A Compact Workhorse for Advanced Photonics

The NanoCube® complements a wide range of advanced and proven alignment solutions that PI offers to the photonics industry—from its award-winning hexapod-based FMPA system to its cost- and throughput-optimized modular PINovAlign product family. As manufacturers continue to push for smaller footprints and higher throughput, this new piezo-flexure-based solution provides a powerful tool for high-volume photonics assembly and testing.

The new NanoCube® system is available now for OEM integration, research laboratories, and fully automated photonics-alignment subsystems.

 

» More information on NanoCube® 6-Axis Alignment System
» More information on Alignment Controller for NanoCube® 6-Axis Alignment System
» Parallel Photonic Alignment Engines – Modular. Dynamic. Designed for IC Handlers.

P-616.65S NanoCube® 6-Axis Piezo System

±250 µm travel range in X, Y, and Z; Tip/tilt angle to ±26,2 mrad in θX, θY, θZ; Parallel-kinematic design for the highest stiffness in all spatial directions; Flexible mounting platform; Freely selectable center of rotation

E-713 NanoCube® Motion Controller for P-616 6D NanoCube®

Ideal for silicon photonics applications; Integrated scanning routines for fiber optic alignment; High-resolution analog inputs for detecting the optical signal; Sensor processing for high accuracy and operational reliability; Comprehensive software package

F-712.PM1 Optical Power Meter

Large signal bandwidt; High dynamic range; Wavelength range 400 to 1550nm; Current input range to 1mA; Logarithmic output

Compact Fast Alignment System for Photonics and Fiber Optics

Photonics Alignment Systems

PI's award-winning architecture addresses test and assembly challenges by combining select motion technologies with unique controller algorithms to align across device channels, components and degrees of freedom in one step, typically 100 times faster than legacy approaches.

PILightning – Solving the First-Light Detection Problem

PI Future Zone Electro-Optical Wafer Probing

Electro-Optical Wafer Probing

Next-generation devices require wafer-level test solutions capable of validating electrical and optical functions simultaneously in high-volume manufacturing contexts. Our photonic wafer probing technology unifies both domains in a fully automated workflow, combining nanometer-level optical alignment with high-density electrical probing within a compact, ATE-compatible architecture.

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