An atomic force microscope head designed for nanometrology

Abstract

An atomic force microscope (AFM) head designed for nanometrology is accomplished in this study. It is the sensing component of the nano-measuring machine, a nanometrological instrument with a working range of 50 mm × 50 mm × 2 mm, as well as a part of the metrological system of the instrument. Three reference mirrors are mounted on the head and arranged without Abbe error. Relative displacement of the AFM head and the specimen is measured by interferometers and results are traceable. The optical beam deflection method is used to detect the atomic force. The laser beam is introduced through a single-mode polarization-maintaining optical fibre from an external laser diode. With a compact design, a 100 mm optical lever is realized inside the AFM head that is less than 20 mm in thickness and 200 g in weight. A force–distance curve is obtained using a gauge block in a test. Furthermore, online tests of the measurement of a step scale have been made. According to the calculation and experimental verification, the resolution of our AFM head reaches 0.05 nm.

Analysis for system errors in measuring the sidewall angle of a silica waveguide with confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM)

“…As described above, the AFM-based metrology is an advanced scanning probe microscopy (SPM), in which there is a common evident of limiting the measurement accuracy of both the CD and the surface profile-the effect of drift distortion [24][25][26]. The drift distortions can exist in both the measurement system and the micro/nanostructures under testing.…”

Modeling and controller design of a 6-DOF precision positioning system

“…However, in some special case, limited by the inadequate workspace and flexibility of the operation ends, most of the existing precision positioning stages can not meet the needs of manipulations. For example, an atomic force microscope designed for nanometrology in [18], which used a 6-DOF nanopositioning stage to carry the sample carrier. Thus, it is necessary for a manipulator with 6-DOF motions in some special systems, which could extend workspace and improve flexibility of the operation ends.…”

Design and control of a 6-degree-of-freedom precision positioning system

“…For example, an atomic force microscope designed for nanometrology in Ref. [23],which used a 6-DOF nanopositioning stage to carry the sample carrier. Thus, it is necessary to develop novel positioning stages with 6-DOF motions in some special systems, which could extend workspace and improve flexibility of the operation ends.…”