SGER: High-Resolution 3-D Surface Topography Measurement Using a Scanning Electron Microscope

本项目的研究目标是开发一种利用扫描电子显微镜进行高分辨率三维表面形貌测量的新技术，并探索其在纳米表征和纳米制造中的潜在应用。该方法将传统光学阴影云纹技术的概念扩展到电子领域，发展所谓的电子阴影云纹技术。将使用MEMS技术设计和制造各种条形和空间尺寸的光栅。这些光栅将用于研究该技术的可行性，并确定光栅参数与测量分辨率之间的关系。将开发一种使用Carre算法的相移技术来提高测量分辨率。为了实现移相技术，我们将设计并制造一个微型计算机控制的样品夹和光栅扫描装置。此外，还将开发用于处理电子阴影云纹图像和重建三维表面形貌的软件。如果成功，该技术不仅可以从扫描电子显微镜图像中提取更多关于样品表面的有用信息用于纳米表征，而且还可以在双光束聚焦离子束/扫描电子显微镜系统中实现真正的纳米加工反馈控制。它将成为科学家和工程师用来帮助他们发现和创新的新工具。这项资助将为研究生和本科生以及对获得研究经验感兴趣的高中生提供研究培训。将特别努力为该项目招收女性和少数民族学生。课程材料和研究生课程的学生项目也将根据研究活动的结果进行开发。

The research objective of this project is to develop a novel technique for high-resolution 3-dimensional surface topography measurement using a scanning electron microscope and explore its potential applications in nanocharacterization and nanofabrication. The approach will be to extend the concept of the traditional optical shadow moire technique to the electron domain to develop a so-called electron shadow moire technique. Gratings with various bar and space sizes will be designed and fabricated using MEMS technology. These gratings will be used to investigate the feasibility of the technique and determine the relationship between the grating parameters and the measurement resolution. A phase shifting technique that uses the Carre algorithm will be developed to improve the measurement resolution. A miniature computer-controlled sample holder and grating scanning device will be designed and built to implement the phase shifting technique. Software for processing electron shadow moire images and reconstructing 3-dimensional surface topography will also be developed.If successful, this technique will not only allow more useful information about the sample surface to be extracted from scanning electron microscope images for nanocharacterization, but also make true feedback control of nanofabrication possible in a dual-beam focused ion beam/scanning electron microscope system. It will be a new tool that scientists and engineers can use to aid their discoveries and innovations. This grant will provide research training to graduate and undergraduate students as well as high school students who are interested in gaining research experience. Special efforts will be made to recruit female and minority students for the project. Course materials and student projects for a graduate course will also be developed based on the results from the research activities.