3D-Nanofinger – Motion from the nanoworld

Versions

Arrangement with 50x50x20 mm³ stroke and thermally compensated granite frame. This Setup is usually used when the 3D-Nanofinger® operates at a fixed place and not in combination with other machines.

Arrangement with 20x20x20 mm³ stroke in a case with transportable electronics. This design shows the compact size of the 3D-Nanofinger® and its flexible usage.
This version is recommended when measurements are required at different places/branches and the ultimate precision is not as important as the portability.

The 3D-Nanofinger® is so compact that it can be installed even in CNC production machines. The metrology features of the 3D-Nanofiner allow sample and tool control at any time and even in automation.

As part of the Nanoworkbench this version supports linescans and 3D scans within elctron microscopes. The 3D-Nanofinger® is so compact that it can be installed even in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a focussed ion beam chamber (FIB).
The metrology features of a SEM are then expanded to the third Dimension. In particular in a FIB the 3D-Nanofinger® can determine how deep a structure is, immediately after it was produced by the ion beam of the FIB.

The universal testing benches allow product development, prototyping, reverse engineering, measurement & quality control, failure detection & analysis with only one system and in until now unknown precision. The accuracy of the base stage is better 50 nm.
This modular system can include all application packeges like: nanomanipulators, nao probing, force sensors, indenters, inspection Systems.

The 3D-Nanofinger® can also be included in all of our micro production Systems. Those can have up to 16 degrees of movement, several micro-gripper, micro adhesive bonding technology, a 4 axis path control system, 6 video microscopes for pattern recognition and automatic microassembly.
The 3D-Nanofinger® adds a valuable topography and scouting system to ensure reliable automation.

The 3D-Nanofinger^®

covers the features of Profilometers and 3D Coordinate Measuring Machines by three equivalent axes of movement and measurements along a path, not only along one axis – with a resolution of single Nanometers on Centimeters of stroke.
detects a contact with its sensor vertically and sidewise: fully 3D.
measures 3D-profiles, inner and outer contours, dimensional features as well as surface roughness, also sidewise.
overcomes the restrictions of Profilometers, Coordinate Measuring Machines and AFMs.
is part of our Nanorobotics and can be integrated in all our systems, freely programmable from point operations to complete measurement tasks.

3 axes with 10 – 50 mm stroke in xy and 10-20 mm stroke in z
0.5 nm movement resolution
2 nm position sensor resolution
scan resolution up to 2 nm (setup dependent)
Nanofinger^® probe tips can have different shape, hardness and a radius from 50 nm up to a few mm, e.g. to operate as manipulation tool
1d measurements as Scout
2d measurements for linescans
3d topography measurements for coarse and fine sample structures
dimensional measurements in all directions
automation on many different levels, also within other processes

Adding 3D to conventional SEM or FIB surface imaging information – In situ Surface Sensing and Nanoprofilometry for Focused Electron and Ion Beam Induced Processes Verification
Andre Linden, Frank Nouvertné, Axel Rudzinski, Torsten Michael, Mark Levermann, Eva Maynicke
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3d Nanofinger
Raith GmbH
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eLINE Plus
Raith GmbH
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The Nanofinger^® sensor is a small MEMS device that detects the distance between its probe tip and a sample. In a distance of about 10 nm the Nanofinger^® sensor detects the sample by measuring the Van-Der-Vaals forces between sample and tip – without touching the sample.
The Nanofinger^® sensor is driven by a special high speed electronics that reacts with a bandwidth of several KHz. The Nanofinger^® sensor is moved towards a sample in closed loop with 1 nm increments until it reaches the desired signal value (e.g. at 75% amplitude). At this moment the position of the stage that moves this sensor is stored as coordinate data. The Nanofinger^® sensor is removed again and then moved aside for the next approach, at any time in closed loop with 1 nm increments, in any direction X, or Y or Z over Centimeters stroke.
Since all movement axes of the 3D-Nanofinger^® offer 1 nm movement resolution, it is easy to prepare a 3d image by making arrays of Linescans.

The 3D-Nanofinger^® is one module of our Nanorobotics and can be moved and programmed just as any other sensor or actuator in the system.
As a module the 3D-Nanofinger^®can be used stand-alone or inside of Nanorobotics and micro production systems or e.g. CNC machines.
Within the “Nanoworkbench” from Klocke Nanotechnik the 3D-Nanofinger^® can be used in any SEM/FIB system as “Scout” to guide other tools to the sample or for 3d Topography measurements. A “Live Image Positioning” module directs the Nanofinger^® in xy to the target point just by mouse-click into the SEM Image.
The Nanofinger^® can be programmed by simple teaching like all other tool of the system, e.g. for Scouting, for finding a maximum point on a sample measure the height or guide an electrical probe there. Even full 3d-profiles can be parts of a bigger process.

®: Nanofinger is a registered trademark of Klocke Nanotechnik GmbH, Aachen

Measurment of V grooves that were prepared as glass fiber guides in the optical industry.

3 and 4 facet pyramid Patterns from METAL INDUSTRIES RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, Kaohsiung, TAIWAN

Measurements of the inside of an internal screw thread with 1.4 mm diameter cut into an alumina block.

Measurement of SMD chips that are fixed on PCB boards by micro adhesive bonding and filled with conductive adhesive.

Measurements of MEMS devices. The flexible structure of such devices are not damaged during the measurment.