This might be a rather silly question, I apologize to everyone. I have a very small sample about 5x5x1 mm (a flat disk) which I would like to move by 0-5 micron along one axis under my microscope (already controlled in XYZ by a coarse flexure stage). I am thinking to use a PZT 5-mm crystal as an actuator and drive it with 0-150V DC power. Do I really need to design a flexure stage (or a roller-bearing stage) around the PZT crystal, or would it be silly to just glue the sample holder directly to the piezo, w/o any flexure guides?
If you have got only one sample then gluing it to the piezo is simple and shoild work. Changing samples would be a pain.
Piezo actuators are often added in the main actuator system, sitting between a screw and the moving stage, or between the screw mount and the stage body. Is there somewhere like that where you could fit the piezo in your system?
Yes, there is a basic small XYZ stage controlled with fine-pitch screws, with the Z coupled to a stepper motor, and I was going to add the piezeo on top of that. I was then going to glue a magnetic steel adapter to the piezo, and the sample itself is that disk I mentioned. So, I would not have to glue the sample each time.