Novel design for an ultra high precision 3D micro probe for CMM applications

AbstractThe paper reports on the design and testing of several new piezoresistive ultra high precision 3D microprobes for the use in coordinate measuring machines (CMM). The microprobes are all composed of three primary components a piezoresitive sensing element and stylus with probing sphere. The sensing element consists of a bossed KOH-etched silicon membrane with diffused piezoresistors. Several designs were investigated to increase sensor sensitivity while improving the anisotropy of stiffness. The initial design used a Wheatstone bridge piezoresistor configuration with a solid sensing membrane. Additionally, apertures where added to the solid silicon membrane to increase stress within the piezoresistors which untimely led to higher probe tip sensitivity. To improve the stiffness in the xy direction of the probe tip a double triangle design was tested that bonded two sensor chips back to back. This was found reduce the ratio between the stiffness in xy- and z-direction from 32 initially to 2

Final report on EUROMET.L-S15.a (EUROMET Project 925): Intercomparison on step height standards and 1D gratings

SUPPLEMENTARY COMPARISON Measurements have been made at five national metrology institutes (NMIs) in the subject field of dimensional measurement using scanning probe microscopy. Four of the participating NMIs are in Europe, the fifth is in the Asia-Pacific region. Each NMI made measurements of four step height standards and two 1D grating standards. These are typical artefact standards used for dimensional nanometrology. Each participant used a different atomic force microscope to perform the measurements. The report lists the results obtained by the individual participants, as well as an analysis of the results and their uncertainties, based on calculation of the weighted means and En values. The results are in good agreement with one another

European Nanometrology 2020

The Co-Nanomet project carried out a two year review of nanometrology status, opportunities and challenges across Europe. A set of goals and objectives have been established for European Nanometrology for the next decade (Vision 2020). The Co-Nanomet partners hope this document may act as a guide to the many bodies across Europe in their activities or responsibilities in the field of nanotechnology and related measurement requirements, as it moves into its next exciting decade.JRC.D.2-Reference material

Introductory Guide to Nanometrology

This Guide introduces the reader to the science of measurements at the nanoscale, that is nanometrology. It is aimed at researchers in the nanotechnology area, for whom the metrology aspect is new, and at metrologists, interested in knowing about the specifics of metrology at the nanoscale. The Guide does not give an exhaustive review of the field. Rather it is intended to increase the general awareness of nanometrology, and its basic challenges. In a first section, three main questions are addressed: 1. What is (nano)metrology? 2. Why is nanometrology important? 3. What are the main challenges for nanometrology? The Guide continues with a section on the meaning of a number of generic metrology concepts. In the third section, the Guide illustrates some of the identified nanometrological challenges with practical examples and case studies from three different application areas (thin films, surface structures and nanoparticles). A final subsection is devoted to the emerging issue of metrology for nanobiotechnologyJRC.DG.D.2-Reference material

Critical review of the current status of thickness measurements for ultrathin SiO2 on Si Part V: Results of a CCQM pilot study

Results are reported from a pilot study under the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance (CCQM) to compare measurements of and resolve any relevant measurement issues in the amount of thermal oxide on (100) and (111) orientation silicon wafer substrates in the thickness range 1.5–8 nm. As a result of the invitation to participate in this activity, 45 sets of measurements have been made in different laboratories using 10 analytical methods: medium—energy ion scattering spectrometry (MEIS), nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), RBS, elastic backscattering spectrometry (EBS), XPS, SIMS, ellipsometry, grazing—incidence x-ray reflectometry (GIXRR), neutron reflectometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The measurements are made on separate sets of 10 carefully prepared samples, all of which have been characterized by a combination of ellipsometry and XPS using carefully established reference conditions and reference parameters. The results have been assessed against the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) data and all show excellent linearity. The data sets correlate with the NPL data with average root-mean-square scatters of 0.15 nm, half being better than 0.1 nm and a few at or better than 0.05 nm. Each set of data allows a relative scaling constant and a zero thickness offset to be determined. Each method has an inherent zero thickness offset between 0 nm and 1 nm and it is these offsets, measured here for the first time, that have caused many problems in the past. There are three basic classes of offset: water and carbonaceous contamination equivalent to ∼ 1 nm as seen by ellipsometry; adsorbed oxygen mainly from water at an equivalent thickness of 0.5 nm as seen by MEIS, NRA, RBS and possibly GIXRR; and no offset as seen by XPS using the Si 2p peaks. Each technique has a different uncertainty for the scaling constant and consistent results have been achieved. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has large uncertainties for the scaling constant but a high precision and critically, if used correctly, has zero offset. Thus, a combination of XPS and the other methods allows the XPS scaling constant to be determined with low uncertainty, traceable via the other methods. The XPS laboratories returning results early were invited to test a new reference procedure. All showed very significant improvements. The reference attenuation lengths thus need scaling by 0.986 ± 0.009 (at an expansion factor of 2), deduced from the data for the other methods. Several other methods have small offsets and, to the extent that these can be shown to be constant or measurable, these methods will also show low uncertainty. Recommendations are provided for parameters for XPS, MEIS, RBS and NRA to improve their accurac