Air bearing table is an ultra-stable measurement platform that floats on a thin film of compressed air — providing friction-free, vibration-isolated support for sensitive semiconductor metrology instruments like interferometers, profilometers, and coordinate measuring machines where even micro-Newton contact forces or nanometer-scale vibrations would corrupt measurements.

What Is an Air Bearing Table?

• Definition: A precision mechanical platform supported by a thin film (5-15 µm) of pressurized air forced through porous or orifice-type bearing surfaces, creating a virtually frictionless, self-leveling, and vibration-isolating support system.
• Principle: The pressurized air film eliminates all metal-to-metal contact between moving and stationary surfaces — providing near-zero friction motion and complete mechanical decoupling from floor vibrations.
• Precision: Air bearing surfaces are flat to within 0.1-1 µm over the entire table area — providing the ultimate reference plane for precision measurements.

Why Air Bearing Tables Matter

• Zero Friction: Conventional mechanical bearings introduce friction, stick-slip, and wear — air bearings provide true frictionless motion critical for sub-nanometer positioning accuracy.
• Vibration Isolation: The air film acts as a natural low-pass filter — high-frequency vibrations from the floor, pumps, and building systems are attenuated before reaching the instrument.
• No Wear: No physical contact means no wear, no lubrication needed, no particulate generation — essential for cleanroom compatibility.
• Flatness Reference: The precision-lapped surface provides a stable flatness reference for optical and dimensional measurements.

Applications in Semiconductor Manufacturing

• Interferometric Measurement: Wafer flatness, surface roughness, and optical component testing require ultra-stable platforms free from vibration artifacts.
• Profilometry: Stylus and optical profilometers measuring step heights and surface features need vibration-free, flat reference surfaces.
• CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine): 3D dimensional measurement of semiconductor equipment components and tooling.
• Optical Inspection: Mask inspection and wafer inspection platforms use air bearings for precise, vibration-free wafer positioning.
• Lithography Stages: Wafer and reticle stages in lithography scanners use air bearings for nanometer-precision positioning at high speed.

Air Bearing Table Specifications

Air bearing tables are the ultimate precision platform for semiconductor metrology — providing the friction-free, vibration-isolated, and geometrically perfect support that enables the sub-nanometer measurements modern chip manufacturing demands.