Accurate and traceable measurement of nano- and microstructures

Abstract

An approach to establishing rigorous nano- and microdimensional metrology using scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) and metrological profilometers is presented. An overview on calibrations of nanostructures—such as step height, one- and two-dimensional gratings, feature width, nanoroughness and geometry of a nanohardness indenter—and microstructures—such as microgroove, microroughness and geometry of a macrohardness indenter—is given in this paper.

Measurement technologies for precision positioning

“…For calibration of 1D, 2D or 3D length or position standards which are used as calibration standards [177] for small range measuring instruments (<1 mm), comparator instruments with integrated laser interferometer systems are often used [31,149]. Standards with periodic structures are also often calibrated by diffractometry methods [23].…”

Surface Form Measurement and Analysis of a Cylindrical Workpiece with Microstructures

“…Many of the microstructures, such as those in micro gears and micro lens arrays, have periodic forms with short pitches and large amplitudes (high-aspect-ratios) as well as steep surface slopes (6,7) . The measurement of the surface form of such kind of microstructures is an important task for the precision manufacturing of the microstructures (8,9) . Commercial measuring instruments such as scanning electron microscopes (SEMs), optical microscopes, scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) and mechanical stylus profilers are being used to measure workpieces with microstructures.…”

“…The result obtained by an optical microscope has large errors in the areas with sharp surface slopes because of the influence of light reflection. The SPMs, represented by atomic force microscopes (AFM), which have extremely high spatial resolutions, are often used for imaging atomic surface structures (9) . However, the measurement ranges of a SPM in both horizontal and vertical directions are limited and not effective in the measurement of large-area and high-aspect-ratio microstructures.…”

Metrological atomic force microscope using a large range scanning dual stage

“…9,11 In this article, we present the design and implementation of MAFM using a large range scanning dual stage. The uncertainty budget in displacement measurement was estimated through the performance evaluation of the dual stage.…”