Development of a Silicon-based Nanoprobe System for 3-D Measurements

Abstract

A small 3-D probe system was developed based on sensing the bending of elastic hinges carrying the probe stylus. The stylus platform and elastic hinges are etched in silicon. On the elastic hinges, piezoresistive straingages are integrated, including the necessary wiring. The 3-D measurement range is about one hundred micrometres in each direction and the repeatability is at the nanometre level. Several prototypes of these MEMS-type probe were realised in IC-technology successfully. Calibrations with a displacement generator based on laser interferometry reveal typical repeatabilities in the nanometre level and a 3-D uncertainty of the order of 25 nm.

Development of a novel 3-DOF suspension mechanism for multi-function stylus profiling systems

“…In micro-coordinate metrology applications, the use of triangular flexure structure is now common [23][24][25][26] . The triangular flexure structure provides an approximation to 3-DOF motions: the Z-axis translation, X-and Y-axes rotations.…”

New developments in coordinate measuring machines for manufacturing industries

“…A lot of research to develop ultra precise CMM has been carried out to achieve efficient measurement of microsystems. For instance, development of CMM with 50 × 50 × 50 mm measuring volume and sub-micrometer volumetric uncertainty at National Physical Laboratory (NPL) by Peggs et al [43], Silicon-based Nanoprobe System by Haitjema et al [47], sub-atomic measuring machine (SAMM) by Hocken et al [48], design principles of micro-CMM with expected measuring range 25 × 25 × 10 mm and resolution of 1 nm by Fan et al [49] represent some of the successful developments in this field. Scientists at Germany's national metrology institute [51] successfully transformed microscope into micro/nano CMM.…”

Probe Technologies for Micro/Nano Measurements

“…The touch-analog type is designed with moveable suspension plate or frame in the mechanism and the motion can be detected by built-in sensors. A variety of such probe systems have been designed, such as the silicon-based (Haitjema, 2001), flexture structure-based (Kung, 2007), and NPL probe (Peggs, 1999). More details can be found in (Weckenmann, 2006).…”