Nanomechanical test structure for optimal alignment in stencil-based lithography

Abstract

A nanoelectromechanical mass sensor based on a submicron size resonating metallic beam is used to characterize material deposition rates in stencil lithography. The material flux through micron size apertures is mapped with high spatial (below 1 mm) and deposition rate (below 10 pm/s) resolutions by displacing stencil apertures above the sensor. It is discussed how the sensor can be used as a test alignment for multi-level nanostencil lithography.