SBIR Phase I: A Profilometry/Sidewall Imaging Tool for High Aspect Ratio Microstructures

SBIR 第一阶段：用于高深宽比微结构的轮廓测量/侧壁成像工具

• 批准号: 1142594
• 负责人: Shane Woody
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: INSITUTEC, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2012-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1142594&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Profilometry; Sidewall; Imaging

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project addresses a novel metrology sensor to enable advanced multi-dimensional measurements of high aspect ratio structures. The current proposed work focuses on a novel methodology using nanoneedles to create a new nano-metrology sensor and extend our current feature measurement capability to include sidewall imaging of high aspect ratio microstructures ranging from 75 micrometer down to 500 nm wide and 50 to 100 micrometer deep. The demand for new and more capable microscale measurements has been driven by the increasing miniaturization of components in a wide range of products and industries including MEMS, medical implants, and many more. Existing measurement technologies are unable to meet the current and future micro-metrology needs in these industries. Specifically, they suffer several critical deficiencies 1) limited in their ability to measure deep narrow features and sidewalls 2) multiple measurement tools are required to measure form, waviness, and roughness and 3) complete inability to perform three dimensional measurements. This SBIR research proposes to dramatically reduce the size of resonance based sidewall inspection tools based around standing wave sensors. This work will address modeling of nonlinear resonators that are scaleable for nano and micro metrology and a novel nanoautomation process to enhance sensing characteristics for sensors targeted for metrology tools in the MEMS industry. The phase II program is planned as a build out phase to develop batch processes, work with early adopators in MEMS foundaries and construct a metrology inspection machine through our industrial partner. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to provide high precision metrology tools to meet increasing challenges in the MEMS and micromanufacturing production environments. Scientific advances are underway in microscale manufacturing that will greatly improve our quality of life in medical devices, fluidics, and the new generation of three dimensional electronics to name a few. However, the progress will be significantly stifled without the next advancement in quality control tools that are capable of providing traceable multi-dimensional measurements at a nanoscale level. A tool that is capable of probing inside features, measuring sidewalls and 3D structures will enable the entire industry including MEMS to have better yield, better insight and lower costs in the manufacturing process. The proposed research aims to develop and commercialize such a tool.

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目涉及一种新型的计量传感器，以实现高深宽比结构的先进多维测量。目前提出的工作集中在一种新的方法，使用纳米针创建一个新的纳米计量传感器，并扩展我们目前的功能测量能力，包括高纵横比微结构的侧壁成像范围从75微米到500纳米宽和50至100微米深。对新的和更强大的微尺度测量的需求一直受到各种产品和行业（包括MEMS，医疗植入物等）中组件日益小型化的推动。现有的测量技术无法满足这些行业当前和未来的微观计量需求。具体地，它们具有几个关键缺陷：1）测量深窄特征和侧壁的能力有限; 2）需要多种测量工具来测量形状、波纹度和粗糙度;以及3）完全不能执行三维测量。该SBIR研究提出显著减小基于驻波传感器周围的基于共振的侧壁检测工具的尺寸。这项工作将解决非线性谐振器的建模，可缩放的纳米和微米计量和一种新的纳米自动化过程，以提高传感器的传感特性，在MEMS行业的计量工具为目标。第二阶段计划计划作为一个建设阶段，以开发批处理工艺，与MEMS创始人的早期采用者合作，并通过我们的工业合作伙伴构建计量检测机器。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是提供高精度的计量工具，以满足MEMS和微制造生产环境中日益增长的挑战。科学进步正在进行中的微型制造，这将大大提高我们的生活质量，在医疗设备，流体，和新一代的三维电子仅举几例。然而，如果没有能够在纳米级水平上提供可追溯的多维测量的质量控制工具的下一个进步，这一进展将受到严重阻碍。能够探测内部特征、测量侧壁和3D结构的工具将使包括MEMS在内的整个行业在制造过程中具有更好的产量、更好的洞察力和更低的成本。拟议的研究旨在开发这种工具并使其商业化。