Chips R&D: Photoresist Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)   2

Background
The CHIPS Metrology Program at NIST advances metrology for accelerating R&D and for developing breakthroughs that support the development of the next-generation microelectronics and ensure the competitiveness and leadership of the United States. The Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division develops micro-/nano-fabrication technologies, devices and novel measurement methods enabled by integrated microsystems.

The semiconductor supply chain is global, specialized, and interconnected. Chipmakers do business with thousands of individual suppliers that provide the highly complex materials and tools used to produce semiconductors. To address the lack of full visibility into the semiconductors markets supply chain and R&D ecosystem gaps NIST will conduct the measurement science, or metrology, critical to the development of new materials, packaging, and production methods in chip manufacturing.

Work Details
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) CHIPS metrology program has a requirement for a customized fluid immersion atomic force microscope (AFM) to develop advanced in-situ measurement methods of physical-chemical processes at the solid-liquid interfaces with relevance to semiconductor manufacturing. The measurement goal is to measure rapid changes in surface topography in response to the introduction of a liquid chemical reagent.

In addition to using conventional cantilever probes, the AFM will be adapted to use custom chip-scale optomechanical probes developed at NIST to achieve high bandwidth, combined with high deflection sensitivity and low perturbation during fluid exchange. A system upgradeable to video-rate imaging is required.

Place of Performance
Optical MEMS and Nanophotonics lab in the Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division