Infrared Microscope to Inspect Materials and Microsystems

该提案旨在为西蒙弗雷泽大学的智能传感实验室（ISL）购买并安装一台高分辨率红外（IR）显微镜。这种红外显微镜对我们目前、最近资助和即将开展的研究项目的进展至关重要。所要求的显微镜将用于在制造过程中和完成后检查硅微器件和晶圆。工作原理依赖于硅在短波到中波红外范围内是透明的事实。配备适当的相机、物镜和光源，显微镜使我们能够透过硅层观察器件或晶圆表面下的结构层和材料界面。由于我们的绝大多数研究活动依赖于基于不同微加工工艺的硅微器件的开发，因此该显微镜将成为我们实验研究中不可或缺的工具，并将立即整合到共同申请者团队的研究人员培训中。该显微镜还配备了对材料和设备进行热成像的成像能力，使其能够用于许多其他研究项目。尽管是一种非常有价值的检查工具，但我们无法在附近的研究实验室找到合适的红外显微镜。由于缺乏具有类似能力的适当检测工具，这带来了许多挑战，并导致了许多制造失败，因此，研究资金的使用效率低下，同时推迟了研究人员的进展。我们正处于几个具有重大科技突破潜力的大型项目的初始阶段。这些项目依赖于几个新型硅微系统的成功开发，进一步强调了获得这种关键检测工具的必要性。我们将向我们团队以外的研究人员提供使用该工具的权限，并在需要时提供必要的培训。我们还将制定程序，以便远程用户可以将他们的样品发送给我们，并在当地操作人员的帮助下在显微镜下进行检查。

This proposal aims to purchase and install a high-resolution infrared (IR) microscope at the Intelligent Sensing Laboratory (ISL) at Simon Fraser University. This infrared microscope is crucially needed for the progress of nearly all of our current, recently funded, and upcoming research projects. The requested microscope will be used for the inspection of silicon microdevices and wafers during and after the completion of fabrication processes. The operating principle relies on the fact that silicon is transparent in short- to mid-wave IR ranges. Equipped with a proper camera, objectives, and light source, the microscope allows us to see through the silicon layers and inspect the structural layers and material interfaces below the surface of the device or wafer. Since the vast majority of our research activities rely on the development of silicon microdevices based on different microfabrication processes, this microscope will become an indispensable tool in our experimental research and will be immediately integrated into the training of researchers from the co-applicants teams. The microscope is also equipped with imaging capabilities for thermal mapping of materials and devices, enabling it to be used in numerous additional research projects. Despite being an extremely valuable inspection tool, we have been unable to locate a suitable IR microscope at nearby research laboratories. The lack of access to a proper inspection tool of similar capability has created numerous challenges and has led to numerous failed fabrication runs, and hence, inefficient use of research funds while delaying the progress of the researchers. We are at the initial phases of several large projects with significant potential for scientific and technical breakthroughs. These projects rely on the successful development of several novel silicon microsystems, further highlighting the need to acquire this critical inspection tool. We will provide access to the tool to researchers beyond our teams and provide the necessary training when needed. We will also develop procedures so that remote users can have their samples sent to us and examined under the microscope with help from local operators.