Linear-to-rotary motion converters for three-dimensional microscopy

This video shows the application of a linear-to-rotary motion converter in 3-D imaging using a scanning electron microscope. The motion converter consists of a SiGe/Si dual-chirality helical nanobelt (DCHNB). The experiment was done using nanorobotic manipulation. Analytical and experimental investigation shows that the motion conversion has excellent linearity for small deflections. The stiffness (0.033 N/m) is much smaller than that of bottom-up synthesized helical nanostructures, which is promising for high-resolution force measurement in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). The ultracompact size makes it also possible for DCHNBs to serve as rotary stages for creating 3-D scanning probe microscopes or microgoniometers.