The field of optical lithography is subject to intense research and has gained enormous improvement. However, the effort necessary for creating structures at the size of 20 nm and below is considerable using conventional technologies. This effort and the resulting financial requirements can only be tackled by few global companies and thus a paradigm change for the semiconductor industry is conceivable: custom design and solutions for specific applications will dominate future development (Fritze in: Panning EM, Liddle JA (eds) Novel patterning technologies. International society for optics and photonics. SPIE, Bellingham, 2021. 10.1117/12.2593229). For this reason, new aspects arise for future lithography, which is why enormous effort has been directed to the development of alternative fabrication technologies. Yet, the technologies emerging from this process, which are promising for coping with the current resolution and accuracy challenges, are only demonstrated as a proof-of-concept on a lab scale of several square micrometers. Such scale is not adequate for the requirements of modern lithography; therefore, there is the need for new and alternative cross-scale solutions to further advance the possibilities of unconventional nanotechnologies. Similar challenges arise because of the technical progress in various other fields, realizing new and unique functionalities based on nanoscale effects, e.g., in nanophotonics, quantum computing, energy harvesting, and life sciences. Experimental platforms for basic research in the field of scale-spanning nanomeasuring and nanofabrication are necessary for these tasks, which are available at the Technische Universität Ilmenau in the form of nanopositioning and nanomeasuring (NPM) machines. With this equipment, the limits of technical structurability are explored for high-performance tip-based and laser-based processes for enabling real 3D nanofabrication with the highest precision in an adequate working range of several thousand cubic millimeters.

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The majority of nanopositioning and nanomeasuring machines (NPMMs) are based on three independent linear movements in a Cartesian coordinate system. This in combination with the specific nature of sensors and tools limits the addressable part geometries. An enhancement of an NPMM is introduced by the implementation of rotational movements while keeping the precision in the nanometer range. For this purpose, a parameter-based dynamic evaluation system with quantifiable technological parameters has been set up and employed to identify and assess general solution concepts and adequate substructures. Evaluations taken show high potential for three linear movements of the object in combination with two angular movements of the tool. The influence of the additional rotation systems on the existing structure of NPMMs has been investigated further on. Test series on the repeatability of an NPMM enhanced by a chosen combination of a rotary stage and a goniometer setup are realized. As a result of these test series, the necessity of in situ position determination of the tool became very clear. The tool position is measured in situ in relation to a hemispherical reference mirror by three Fabry–Pérot interferometers. FEA optimization has been used to enhance the overall system structure with regard to reproducibility and long-term stability. Results have been experimentally investigated by use of a retroreflector as a tool and the various laser interferometers of the NPMM. The knowledge gained has been formed into general rules for the verification and optimization of design solutions for multiaxial nanopositioning machines.