Abstract
A hybrid atomic force microscopic (AFM) measurement system combined with white light scanning interferometry for micro/nanometer dimensional measurement is developed. The system is based on a high precision large-range positioning platform with nanometer accuracy on which a white light scanning interferometric module and an AFM head are built. A compact AFM head is developed using a self-sensing tuning fork probe. The head need no external optical sensors to detect the deflection of the cantilever, which saves room on the head, and it can be directly fixed under an optical microscopic interferometric system. To enhance the system’s dynamic response, the frequency modulation (FM) mode is adopted for the AFM head. The measuring data can be traceable through three laser interferometers in the system. The lateral scanning range can reach 25 mm × 25 mm by using a large-range positioning platform. A hybrid method combining AFM and white light scanning interferometry is proposed to improve the AFM measurement efficiency. In this method, the sample is measured firstly by white light scanning interferometry to get an overall coarse morphology, and then, further measured with higher resolution by AFM. Several measuring experiments on standard samples demonstrate the system’s good measurement performance and feasibility of the hybrid measurement method.
Highlights
With the development of micro/nanometer manufacturing technologies, the structure and number of devices with micro/nanometer dimensions have increased greatly, which imposes a higher demand on micro/nanometer dimensional measurement technologies
Since its invention in 1986 [1], Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become an indispensible tool for topographical characterization with nano- and sub-nanometer resolution
Based on a high precision large range positioning platform, the lateral scanning range of the system can reach tens of millimeters and the measurement data can be traced to the meter definition through embedded laser interferometers
Summary
With the development of micro/nanometer manufacturing technologies, the structure and number of devices with micro/nanometer dimensions have increased greatly, which imposes a higher demand on micro/nanometer dimensional measurement technologies. The measuring range of the AFM is generally limited to 100 μm × 100 μm × 10 μm In this regard, one method to expand the AFM’s measuring range is designing new scanners with larger scanning range, but because of the limitations of the scanner’s mechanical structure and the piezo actuators’ properties, the range of the scanner can hardly exceed hundreds of micrometers [8]. One method to expand the AFM’s measuring range is designing new scanners with larger scanning range, but because of the limitations of the scanner’s mechanical structure and the piezo actuators’ properties, the range of the scanner can hardly exceed hundreds of micrometers [8] Another method is to combine an AFM with a large-range positioning system [9,10]. Based on a high precision large range positioning platform, the lateral scanning range of the system can reach tens of millimeters and the measurement data can be traced to the meter definition through embedded laser interferometers
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