SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate an ultra high-precision position sensing system, intended for next generation microelectronics production. Before a product prototype of this system can be developed, which is suitable for rigorous use in commercial manufacturing, design issues related to reliability, high speed capability, and manufacturability must be solved. The new system uses scanning probe microscope (SPM) technology and some reference scale such as a synthetic grating or an atomic layer of crystal. This unique combination, together with synchronized signal detection, is an innovation in the area of ultra high precision position sensing, which is basic to high precision positioning systems (XY stage control) in microelectronics manufacturing. Subnanometer precision (repeatability) has been demonstrated both in the height and lateral direction. Phase I will study the system design which fully utilizes the integrated micromachined sensor probe and actuator, establishing a dynamic model. Three areas of application are anticipated in commercial microelectronics manufacturing: 1)steppers, electron/ion beam lithography systems, mask aligners, and inspection systems for X-ray lithography; 2)inspection and manufacturing systems of high-precision X-ray optics and other high precision machining systems; and 3)servo writer control systems for computer hard disk and optical disk mass memory.

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II Project is for the development of a high precision position measurement system. Such systems are used to measure and control the highly-precise motion of manufacturing equipment. The system utilizes Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) technology, MEMS (or micro machines), and a high precision holographic grating together with synchronous signal detection. The simple structure of the device and ease of the use suggest significant cost savings to the end user. The focus of the Phase I project has been to investigate the means of providing a reliable and high speed position measurement system based on the proposed method. During Phase II, Phase I results will be further developed toward a product level prototyping. The new prototype design will aim to demonstrate better than 0.1nm resolution and to detect faster than 10mm/sec motion over 2" range with increased reliability and stability. An optimization procedure for mechanical and controller design will be developed and tested along with prototype development, with the expectation of significant contribution to overall development time and cost savings. The demand for ultra-precision position measurement and control systems worldwide has grown rapidly in such key industries as 1) semiconductor manufacturing equipment; 2) servo-writers for hard disk writing; 3) optical disk mastering equipment, and 4) high-precision machining of aspheric lenses and mirrors