# CAREER: Synergistic Co-Design of Hardware and Control Systems for Over-Actuated Motion Stages in High-Throughput Chip Manufacturing

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI) · $607,412

## Abstract

This Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant will fund research that strives to address an acceleration-bandwidth trade-off in precision motion systems to enable future integrated circuit manufacturing equipment with enhanced throughput, thereby promoting the progress of science, and advancing the national prosperity and welfare. In today’s chip manufacturing equipment where precision motion stations exist, there exists a fundamental trade-off between control bandwidth and achievable acceleration due to structural material stiffness-to-weight ratio limits. This trade-off severely limits the throughput of photolithography machines and wafer inspection systems for integrated circuit manufacturing, which directly depend on acceleration and control performance during wafer and photomask positioning stages. This research project attempts to solve this challenge by developing a new mechatronic hardware and control co-design paradigm that overcomes the acceleration-bandwidth trade-off and enables motion systems with substantially improved acceleration without sacrificing control performance, which has the potential to improve productivity in chip manufacturing and thus benefit society at large. Other applications that could benefit from this research include, but are not limited to, laser-based machining and the manufacture of high-power-density electric machines and aerospace structures. Tightly integrated with the research activities, this CAREER project’s educatio

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2440781
- **Awardee organization:** University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** LCLSJAGTNZQ7
- **PI:** Lei Zhou
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** CONTROL SYSTEMS, Dynamical systems, CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, Manufacturing, WOMEN, MINORITY, DISABLED, NEC
- **Estimated total:** $607,412
- **Funds obligated:** $607,412
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 07/01/2025 → 06/30/2030

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2440781

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2440781, CAREER: Synergistic Co-Design of Hardware and Control Systems for Over-Actuated Motion Stages in High-Throughput Chip Manufacturing. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2440781. Licensed CC0.

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