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，以提高微机电系统（MEMS）的质量保证。微干涉仪的开发将使高速几何测量的微几何形状提供反馈的微型零件的几何形状的一致性，以目标规格。在这项研究中开发的传感器是基于衍射光栅干涉测量，使他们非常准确，可靠和快速。由于传感器是使用MEMS技术制造的，因此它们可以以阵列的形式廉价地制造。此外，静电驱动器将与用于调谐阵列中的各个传感器的电子器件和逻辑一起集成到传感器阵列中。这将允许产生自调谐的并行传感器，从而提高可以以亚纳米分辨率测量一组MEMS部件的速度。将生成几种已知几何形状的检查结果，以验证传感器。提供三维信息的微干涉仪阵列也将与目前用于IC制造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，拟议的工作将使微电子机械系统（MEMS）中关键的微部件的测量成为可能。迄今为止，对这种设备的测量一直是缓慢的，并且充其量是不准确的。新的计量能力将使人们能够更好地了解这种系统的质量水平，从而允许监测和增强制造这种系统所使用的过程。此外，可以用所提出的传感器进行测量的速度将使得能够对移动的MEMS器件进行动态测量。这将允许不仅验证装置的静态几何形状，而且验证这些装置的动态行为。

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.