In-Line Optical Measurement of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) Devices During Production

这笔赠款用于开发一种计量工具，以加强微电子机械系统(MEMS)的质量保证。开发的微型干涉仪将能够对微小几何形状进行高速几何测量，并提供有关微小零件几何形状是否符合目标规格的反馈。这项研究中将要开发的传感器是基于衍射光栅干涉术的，使得它们非常准确、可靠和快速。由于传感器是用MEMS技术制造的，所以它们可以廉价地以阵列的形式制造。此外，静电驱动器将与电子和逻辑一起集成到传感器阵列中，以调整阵列中的各个传感器。这将允许产生自校正的并行传感器，提高以亚纳米分辨率测量一组MEMS部件的速度。将生成几个已知几何形状的检查结果，以验证传感器。提供三维信息的微型干涉仪阵列还将与目前IC制造中使用的二维计量系统进行比较，作为确定其能力的另一种手段。如果成功，拟议的工作将能够测量在微电子机械系统(MEMS)中至关重要的微型元件。到目前为止，对这类设备的测量充其量也是缓慢和不准确的。新的计量能力将使人们能够更好地了解此类系统的质量水平，进而允许监测和改进制造此类系统所使用的工艺。此外，利用所提出的传感器进行测量的速度将使动态测量移动的MEMS设备成为可能。这将不仅允许验证设备的静态几何形状，而且还允许验证这些设备的动态行为。

This grant provides for the development of a metrology tool to enhance quality assurance of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). The micro-interferometers developed will enable the high-speed geometric measurement of micro-geometries providing feedback as to the conformance of the micro-part geometry to target specifications. The sensors to be developed in this research are based on diffraction grating interferometry making them extremely accurate, reliable and fast. As the sensors are fabricated using MEMS technology, they can be inexpensively fabricated in the form of an array. Furthermore, electrostatic drives will be integrated into the sensor arrays along with electronics and logic for tuning individual sensors in the array. This will permit the generation of self-tuning, parallel sensors increasing the speed at which a group of MEMS parts can be measured with sub-nanometer resolution. Inspection results will be generated for several known geometries to validate the sensors. The micro-interferometer arrays, which provide three-dimensional information, will also be compared to current two-dimensional metrology systems used in IC fabrication as another means of determining their capabilities.If successful, the proposed work will enable the measurement of micro-components that are critical in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). To date, measurement of such devices has been slow and inaccurate at best. The new metrology capabilities will enable both an increased understanding of the quality level of such systems that will, in turn, permit the monitoring and enhancement of the processes that are used in fabricating such systems. Furthermore, the speed at which measurement can be taken with the proposed sensors will enable dynamic measurement of moving MEMS devices. This will permit the validation of not only the static geometry of the devices, but also the validation of the dynamic behavior of these devices.