Multi-Axis Laser Interferometer for Position Measurements and Motion Feedback Control

所要求的多轴激光干涉仪是一种非常通用的实验室检测工具，用于亚纳米精度的多轴位置测量。该工具使用干涉仪激光技术，为多轴位置测量提供了非接触式、非破坏性、快速、高灵敏度和卓越的分辨率和精度。这种干涉仪的典型应用包括光学光刻步进器和扫描仪、掩模和晶片检测和测量工具，以及对米范围内高分辨率或高频机械运动的测量和校准。这种工业级设备将是纽芬兰和拉布拉多以及加拿大大西洋地区的第一个此类设备。 激光干涉仪是支持两个研究项目的关键：为下一代光刻机设计新的精密运动系统，以及基于微电子机械系统(MEMS)的压电振动能量采集。新型精密运动系统的主要目标是提高未来半导体制造机主运动扫描系统的精度和力密度。这将导致更快、更轻、更智能的集成电路。更高的力密度将有助于提高半导体制造设备的生产能力。MEMS研究的主要目标是基于MEMS的振动能量采集器的设计和优化以及它们在微系统中的集成。低功率电子应用通常由电池提供动力，电池具有严格的寿命和尺寸限制。为了提高运行的自主性，利用MEMS器件从环境振动中获取能量被认为是解决这一普遍问题的一种有前途的解决方案。 所要求的激光干涉仪将提高HQP在精密工程领域的技能，这对开发新的和改进的高精度工艺和机器至关重要。该仪器将为我们的HQP提供在工业4.0背景下构建超精密系统的多维亚纳米精度测量和运动反馈控制方面的非凡技能。申请者的学生，包括所有指定的代表性不足群体，将通过在其论文/项目工作中日常使用所要求的行业级工具来获得宝贵的培训经验。 利用拟议设备进行的拟议研究活动的一个主要成果是提高了光刻系统的精度，这将导致制造更快、更智能和更轻的集成电路。这项技术的进步对于保持加拿大在先进制造业中的竞争力至关重要。加拿大的压电材料行业也可以通过开发一种框架来受益，该框架允许将这些材料整合到关键和敏感的纳米定位应用中。

The requested multi-axis laser interferometer is an extremely versatile laboratory inspection tool used for multi-axis position measurement with sub-nanometers accuracy. This tool uses the interferometer laser technology, which offers a non-contact, non-destructive, fast, highly sensitive, and exceptional resolution and accuracy for multi-axis position measurement. The typical applications of this interferometer include optical lithography steppers and scanners, mask and wafer inspection and measurement tools, and measurement and calibration of high resolution or high-frequency mechanical motions within meters range. This industry-level equipment will be the first of its kind in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as in Atlantic Canada. The laser interferometer is crucial to support two research programs: The design of new precision motion systems for the next-generation lithography machines, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based piezoelectric vibration energy harvesting. The main objectives of new precision motion systems are to enhance the precision and to increase the force density of the main motion scanner systems of the future semiconductor manufacturing machines. This would lead to faster, lighter, and smarter integrated circuits. Higher force density will contribute to the enhancement of throughput of the semiconductor manufacturing machines. The main objectives of the MEMS research are the design and optimization of MEMS-based vibration energy harvesters as well as their integration in the microsystems. Low-power electronic applications are normally empowered by batteries with stringent lifetime and size constraints. To enhance operational autonomy, energy harvesting from ambient vibration by MEMS devices has been deemed as a promising solution to this universal problem. The requested laser interferometer will advance HQP skills in the field of precision engineering, which is essential to develop new and improved high-precision processes and machines. This instrument will provide our HQP with the exceptional skills on multi-dimensional sub-nanometer accuracy measurement and motion feedback control for building ultra-precision systems in the context of industry 4.0. The applicants' students, including all the designated underrepresented groups, will obtain valuable training experience through the daily use of the requested industry-class instrument in their thesis/project work. A major outcome of the proposed research activities with the proposed equipment is enhancing the precision of lithography systems, which will lead to fabrication of faster, smarter, and lighter integrated circuits. The advancement of this technology is essential to keep Canada's competitiveness in the advanced manufacturing industry. The piezoelectric material industry in Canada can also benefit by developing a framework that allows the integration of these materials in critical and sensitive nano-positioning applications.