Control concepts for an active vibration isolation system

Abstract

In the fields of high-resolution metrology and manufacturing, effective anti-vibration measures are required to obtain precise and repeatable results. This is particularly true when the amplitudes of ambient vibration and the dimensions of the investigated or manufactured structure are comparable, e.g. in sub-micron semiconductor chip production, holographic interferometry, confocal optical imaging, and scanning probe microscopy. In the active anti-vibration system examined, signals are acquired by extremely sensitive vibration detectors, and the vibration is reduced using a feedback controller to drive electrodynamic actuators. This paper deals with the modeling and control of this anti-vibration system. First, a six-degree-of-freedom rigid body model of the system is developed. The unknown parameters of the unloaded system, including actuator transduction constants, spring stiffness, damping, moments of inertia, and the vertical position of the center of mass, are determined by comparing measured transfer functions to those calculated using the updated model. Finally, different strategies for actively controlling the vibration isolation system are considered.