Advanced instrumentation for multi-modal nanometric measurement inside SEM

纳米技术领域需要先进的能力来测量纳米材料和纳米结构的物理性质。例如，半导体工业需要探测纳米尺寸的晶体管进行故障分析，锂离子电池的开发需要表征电化学循环过程中基于纳米材料的电极特性变化。我们的研究小组之前开发了一个闭环操作的纳米操作系统，用于扫描电子显微镜（SEM）内部，在扫描电子显微镜的纳米分辨率成像下对纳米材料进行操作。在之前工作的基础上，我们将与加拿大日立高科技公司（HHTC）合作，在这个项目中开发一种新的仪器和一些纳米表征技术，这将首次在扫描电镜成像下对纳米结构/材料进行全面的物理（电气，机械和热）测量。该项目的目标是开发一种能够在SEM高真空腔内操作的多模态成像和纳米表征技术的新仪器。具体目标包括：(1)研制低传感器发热、低漂移的纳米操作仪器；(2)开发纳米电子结构的自动电探测技术；(3)使仪器具备纳米材料热成像能力；(4)应用该仪器对SEM内部的一维和二维纳米材料进行集成电路探测和热测量；(5)为仪器开发AFM模块，实现原位AFM成像，包括接触式和轻敲式扫描；(6)在sem的高真空室内实现AFM-SEM的相关成像和机械纳米压痕。这种功能强大的纳米仪器将在纳米电子、精密仪器、电池等行业中得到重要应用

The nanotechnology sector demands advanced capabilities for measuring physical properties of nanomaterialsand nanostructures. For instance, the semiconductor industry requires the probing of nanometer-sizedtransistors for failure analysis, and lithium ion battery development requires characterization ofnanomaterials-based electrode property changes during electrochemical cycles. Our research group previouslydeveloped a closed-loop operated nanomanipulation system for use inside scanning electron microscope (SEM)to perform the manipulation of nanomaterials under SEM's nanometer resolution imaging. Building upon theprevious work, we will collaborate with Hitachi High-Technologies Canada (HHTC) in this project to developa new instrument and a number of nano characterization techniques, which will, for the first time, enablecomprehensive physical (electrical, mechanical, and thermal) measurements on nano structures/materials underSEM imaging.The goal of the project is to develop a new instrument capable of multi-modal imaging and nanocharacterization techniques for operation inside the high vacuum chamber of SEM. Specific objectives include:(1) To develop a nanomanipulation instrument with low sensor heat generation and low drift; (2) To developtechniques for automated electrical probing of nanoelectronic structures; (3) To equip the instrument with thecapability of thermal mapping on nanomaterials; (4) To apply the instrument to perform integrated circuit (IC)probing and thermal measurement on 1D and 2D nanomaterials inside SEM; (5) To develop an AFM modulefor the instrument to enable in-situ AFM imaging, including both contact and tapping mode scanning; (6) Toenable AFM-SEM correlative imaging and mechanical nanoindentation inside the high vacuum chamber ofSEM. This powerful nano instrument will find important applications in such industries as nano electronics,precision instrumentation, batteries etc