Method of measuring micro- and nano-scale properties

Abstract

This invention is a novel methodology for precision metrology, sensing, and actuation at the micro- and nano-scale. It is well-suited for micro- and nano-scale because it leverages off the electromechanical benefits of the scale. The invention makes use of electrical measurands of micro- or nano-scale devices to measure and characterize themselves, other devices, and whatever the devices subsequently interact with. By electronically measuring the change in capacitance, change in voltage, and/or resonance frequency of one or more test structures, a multitude of geometric, dynamic, and material properties may be extracted with a much higher accuracy and precision than conventional methods.

1 . A method of property extraction including a sequence of levels distinguished by a type of electrical measurement, wherein the method determines a multitude of geometric, dynamic, and material properties as functions of electrical measurands and comprises the steps of:
 a. measuring a first level in the sequence of property extractions corresponding to properties that are functions of changes in capacitance;   b. measuring a second level in the sequence of property extractions corresponding to properties that are functions of changes in voltage and changes in capacitance due to a prescribed displacement and the electrical measurands from the first level;   c. measuring a third level in the sequence of property extractions corresponding to properties that are functions of displacement resonant frequencies, velocity resonant frequencies, and the electrical measurands from the first level and the second level; and   d. measuring a fourth level in the sequence of property extractions corresponding to properties that are functions of stress-induced changes in capacitance and the electrical measurands of the first, second and third levels.   
     
     
         2 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 1 , wherein the first level in the sequence of property extraction is measured by a first level group of geometric properties including overcut, widths, gaps, lengths, sidewall angles, thicknesses, areas, volumes, base compliance, web compliance, or distances between structures. 
     
     
         3 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 1 , wherein the second level in the sequence of property extraction is measured by a second level group of properties including comb drive force, displacement, system stiffness, beam stiffness, material Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, or shear modulus. 
     
     
         4 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 1 , wherein the third level in the sequence of property extraction is measured by a third level group of properties including damping factor, natural frequency, quality factor, material density, system mass, or system damping. 
     
     
         5 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 1 , wherein the fourth level in the sequence of property extraction is measured by a fourth level group of properties including strain, stress, or elongation. 
     
     
         6 . A method of property extraction comprising using electrical measurands to analyze and characterize mechanical properties of micro- and nano-scale electromechanical systems, wherein electrical measurands include capacitance, voltage, current, or resonance, wherein the mechanical properties include geometric, dynamic, or material properties, wherein the geometric properties include in-plane and out-of-plane dimensions of a fabricated structure, wherein dynamic properties include displacement, velocity, acceleration, mass, damping, stiffness, force, pressure, or temperature, wherein material properties include Young's modulus, stress, strain, density, Poisson's ratio, viscosity, thermo-elasticity, or thermo-conductivity, wherein electrical measurands are used to extract mechanical properties of one or more micro or nano electromechanical systems. 
     
     
         7 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of determining the architecture of one or more test structures having an architecture emulating said given architectural properties and exhibiting a predetermined layout. 
     
     
         8 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of co-producing a micro electromechanical system or a nano electromechanical system with test structures as a unitary device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises a means of measuring geometric, dynamic and material properties of the micro electromechanical system or the nano electromechanical system by correlating said predetermined layout and performance to electrical-based sensing and actuation to determine said properties and associated errors. 
     
     
         10 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating one or more changes in capacitances of one or more micro electromechanical systems or nano electromechanical systems due to deflection including obtaining geometry overcut. 
     
     
         11 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of using overcut and layout geometry to calculate geometry including widths, gaps, lengths, areas, or volumes. 
     
     
         12 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of using layout geometry to calculate overetch including beam widths. 
     
     
         13 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating compliances Kbase and Kweb. 
     
     
         14 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating sidewall angle Θ. 
     
     
         15 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating layer thickness h. 
     
     
         16 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating one or more displacement-stop potentials and corresponding changes in capacitances of a test structure. 
     
     
         17 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating a sensed or applied comb-drive force F. 
     
     
         18 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating displacement. 
     
     
         19 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating system stiffness. 
     
     
         20 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating beam stiffness. 
     
     
         21 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating material Young's modulus. 
     
     
         22 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating Poission's ratio. 
     
     
         23 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating shear modulus. 
     
     
         24 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating dampling factor. 
     
     
         25 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating natural frequency. 
     
     
         26 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating quality factor. 
     
     
         27 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating material density. 
     
     
         28 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating system mass. 
     
     
         29 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating system elasticity. 
     
     
         30 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating system damping. 
     
     
         31 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of measuring the change in capacitance of the stress-induced deflection. 
     
     
         32 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating strain. 
     
     
         33 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating stress. 
     
     
         34 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating elongation comb offset. 
     
     
         35 . The method of property extraction according to  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises a means of calculating displacement.