Coupled multiscale positioning of arrays of parallel, independently actuated and simultaneously driven modular scanning probe microscopes for high-throughput, in-line, nanoscale measurement of flexible, large area, and roll-to-roll processes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10649003-B2
Application number	US-201815994616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2018
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

Disclosed herein are devices, systems and methods for in-line, nanoscale metrology. One system comprises monolithic flexure mechanisms with integrated actuators that allow movement and positioning in two axes, with an extremely high degree of accuracy, of a structure comprising one or more scanning probes. This structure is suspended to prevent any destructive interference from a sample, which can be stationary or moving at a nonzero rate, and rigid or flexible in mechanical behavior. This system can be activated at startup and quickly actuate the structure to approach the surface of the sample. Once the system achieves the desired proximity between the one or more probes and the sample, the system maintains that position of the structure to a high degree of accuracy regardless of any disturbances. This array can be moved at varying speeds laterally to match the velocity of any continually moving substrates, thus enabling scanning of moving substrates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metrology system comprising:
a structure positioning system that comprises a rigid structure that is supported at each end, wherein the rigid structure is actuated to alter a physical location of the rigid structure in at least two dimensions such that the rigid structure can be positioned relative to a direction of movement of a sample and a distance separating the rigid structure from the sample; and
a plurality of scanning probes, wherein each of the plurality of scanning probes is attached to a corresponding fine-z flexure mechanism and each fine-z flexure mechanism is suspended from the rigid structure and actuated by a corresponding actuator, wherein the actuators allow movement and positioning of each fine-z mechanism and its associated scanning probe in multiple directions and independent of the rigid structure.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of scanning probes comprises a micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) based scanning cantilever probe.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the MEMS probe comprises a MEMS atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the rigid structure is moved and positioned to control a physical location of at least one of the plurality of scanning probes in relation to a position and a velocity of the sample.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the movement of the rigid structure or fine-z flexure mechanisms positions the at least one of the scanning probes to within approximately 250 μm of the sample.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sample is stationary.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sample is moving.

8. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sample is rigid.

9. The system of claim 4 , wherein the sample is flexible.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein a number of scanning probes that comprise the plurality of scanning probes is scalable.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of scanning probes form an array of scanning probes.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is used in line with a roll-to-roll manufacturing process.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of scanning probes comprises a probe used for metrology data acquisition.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one scanning probe used for metrology data acquisition is used to measure one or more dimensions of temperature, magnetic information, and electric charge.

15. A method of metrology for manufacturing comprising:
providing a structure positioning system that comprises a rigid structure that is supported at each end, wherein the rigid structure is actuated to alter a physical location of the rigid structure in at least two dimensions such that the rigid structure can be positioned relative to a direction of movement of a sample and a distance separating the rigid structure from the sample;
providing a plurality of scanning probes, wherein each of the plurality of scanning probes is attached to a corresponding fine-z flexure mechanism and each fine-z flexure mechanism is suspended from the rigid structure and actuated by a corresponding actuator, wherein the actuators allow independent movement and positioning of each fine-z mechanism and its associated scanning probe in multiple directions independent of the movement of the rigid structure;
positioning at least one of the scanning probes in relation to a position and a velocity of a sample by movement of the rigid structure;
fine positioning the at least one of the plurality of scanning probes in closer proximity to the sample, wherein the fine positioning is performed using the fine-z flexure mechanism of the at least one scanning probe and its corresponding actuator; and
performing metrology on the sample using the at least one scanning probe.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one scanning probe comprises a micro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) based scanning cantilever probe.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the MEMS probe comprises a MEMS atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein each of the scanning probes that comprise the plurality of scanning probes are adjusted individually with respect to the position and velocity of the sample.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sample is stationary relative to the plurality of scanning probes.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sample is moving relative to the plurality of scanning probes.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sample is rigid.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sample is flexible.

23. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the plurality of scanning probes comprise a cantilevered AFM tip and said method further comprises positioning the cantilever tip of the at least one scanning probe in proximity to the sample.

24. The method of claim 15 , wherein a number of scanning probes that comprise the plurality of scanning probes is scalable.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of scanning probes form an array of scanning probes.

26. The method of claim 15 , wherein the method is used in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process.

27. A method of metrology for manufacturing comprising:
providing a structure positioning system that comprises a rigid structure that is supported at each end, wherein the rigid structure is actuated to alter a physical location of the rigid structure in at least two dimensions such that the rigid structure can be positioned relative to a direction of movement of a sample and a distance separating the rigid structure from the sample, and wherein the rigid structure is moved in multiple directions by one or more XZ actuators;
providing a plurality of atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes, wherein each of the plurality of AFM probes is attached to a corresponding fine-z flexure mechanism and each fine-z flexure mechanism is suspended from the rigid structure and actuated by a corresponding voice-coil actuator, wherein the voice-coil actuators allow independent movement and positioning of each fine-z mechanism and its associated AFM probe in multiple directions independent of the movement of the rigid structure;
coarse positioning of one or more of the individually actuated and controlled plurality of AFM probes to within approximately 250 μm of a sample using the one or more XZ actuators to move the rigid structure, wherein at least one of the one or more AFM probes comprise a probe used for metrology data acquisition;
fine positioning the one or more AFM probes in closer proximity to the sample, wherein fine positioning is performed using the fine-z flexure mechanism of the one or more AFM probes and their corresponding voice-coil actuators; and
performing metrology on the sample using the one or more AFM probes.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the AFM probe used for metrology data acquisition is used to measure one or more of temperature, magnetic information, and electric charge.

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Cullinan Michael A
• Connolly Liam Glazer

Classifications

• G01Q10/02 Primary

  Coarse scanning or positioning · CPC title

• G01Q10/04

  Fine scanning or positioning · CPC title

• G01Q60/24

  AFM [Atomic Force Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. AFM probes · CPC title

• G01Q60/34

  Tapping mode · CPC title

• G01Q70/06

  Probe tip arrays · CPC title