A 0.25mm&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; Atomic Force Microscope on-a-chip

Sarkar, Niladri; Strathearn, D.; Lee, Geoffrey; Olfat, M.; Mansour, Raafat R.

doi:10.1109/memsys.2015.7051062

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The limitations created by the long setup time and the lowspeed scanning can be solved by using single-chip AFMs [3]. Single-chip AFMs use microelectromechanical system (MEMS)based flexures, sensors, and actuators (as shown in Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-Line Dimensional Metrology in Nanomanufacturing Systems Enabled by a Passive Semiconductor Wafer Alignment Mechanism

Yao

Duenner

Cullinan

2016

Journal of Micro and Nano-Manufacturing

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One of the major challenges in nanoscale manufacturing is defect control because it is difficult to measure nanoscale features in-line with the manufacturing process. Optical inspection typically is not an option at the nanoscale level due to the diffraction limit of light, and without inspection high scrap rates can occur. Therefore, this paper presents an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based inspection system that can be rapidly implemented in-line with other nanomanufacturing processes. Atomic force microscopy is capable of producing very high resolution (subnanometer-scale) surface topology measurements and is widely utilized in scientific and industrial applications, but has not been implemented in-line with manufacturing systems, primarily because of the large setup time typically required to take an AFM measurement. This paper introduces the design of a mechanical wafer-alignment device to enable in-line AFM metrology in nanoscale manufacturing by dramatically reducing AFM metrology setup time. The device consists of three pins that exactly constrain the wafer and a nesting force applied by a flexure to keep the wafer in contact with the pins. Kinematic couplings precisely mate the device below a flexure stage containing an array of AFM microchips which are used to make nanoscale measurements on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. This passive alignment system reduces the wafer setup time to less than 1 min and produces a lateral positioning accuracy that is on the order of ∼1 μm.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-Line Dimensional Metrology in Nanomanufacturing Systems Enabled by a Passive Semiconductor Wafer Alignment Mechanism

Yao

Duenner

Cullinan

2016

Journal of Micro and Nano-Manufacturing

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“…Recent advances in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication have enabled the realization of an entire AFM on a single MEMS chip. This MEMS-based AFM is capable of high-speed scanning of nanoscale features over micron scale areas and is small enough that it can be incorporated into manufacturing tools for in situ nanoscale measurements or into metrology platforms with multiple scanning probes operating on a wafer at the same time [2]. These low-cost devices dramatically reduce setup time required for AFM metrology due to the fact that they do not require the focusing of a laser on an AFM cantilever tip as is common with traditional AFM systems and do not require the inspection wafer to be loaded into a large AFM system where it is necessary to search for the spot on the wafer the user wants to inspect before a measurement can be made.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Low-Cost, Automated Wafer Loading System With Submicron Alignment Accuracy for Nanomanufacturing and Nanometrology Applications

Duenner

Yao

Hoyos

et al. 2016

Journal of Micro and Nano-Manufacturing

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This paper introduces a low-cost, automated wafer alignment system capable of submicron wafer positioning repeatability. Accurate wafer alignment is critical in a number of nanomanufacturing and nanometrology applications where it is necessary to be able to overlay patterns between fabrication steps or measure the same spot on a wafer over and over again throughout the manufacturing process. The system presented in this paper was designed to support high-throughput nanoscale metrology where the goal is to be able to rapidly and consistently measure the same features on all the wafers in a wafer carrier without the need for slow and expensive vision-based alignment systems to find and measure the desired features. The wafer alignment system demonstrated in this paper consists of a three-pin passive wafer alignment stage, a voice coil actuated nesting force applicator, a three degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) wafer handling robot, and a wafer cassette. In this system, the wafer handling robot takes a wafer from the wafer cassette and loads it on to the wafer alignment stage. The voice coil actuator is then used to load the wafer against the three pins in the wafer alignment system and align the wafer to an atomic force microscope (AFM)-based metrology system. This simple system is able to achieve a throughput of 60 wafers/h with a positional alignment repeatability of 283 nm in the x-direction, 530 nm in the y-direction, and 398 nm in the z-direction for a total capital cost of less than $1800.

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MEMS Nanopositioners

Gorman¹

2016

Nanopositioning Technologies

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A 0.25mm<sup>3</sup> Atomic Force Microscope on-a-chip

Cited by 7 publications

References 7 publications

In-Line Dimensional Metrology in Nanomanufacturing Systems Enabled by a Passive Semiconductor Wafer Alignment Mechanism

In-Line Dimensional Metrology in Nanomanufacturing Systems Enabled by a Passive Semiconductor Wafer Alignment Mechanism

A Low-Cost, Automated Wafer Loading System With Submicron Alignment Accuracy for Nanomanufacturing and Nanometrology Applications

MEMS Nanopositioners

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