Force determination apparatus, force determination method, system and method for aligning a first object with a second object

Abstract

The invention relates to a force determination device (110), (510), (610) having (i) a contact section (111), which is designed to contact at least a part of a first object, (ii) a flexible section (112), which is connected to the contact section, the flexible section is designed to yield when a force acts at least partially on the first object and / or the contact section, (iii) a measuring head (113), (114), (511), (611), which is designed to measure a measured value of a measured variable related to the yield of the flexible section, and (iv) a force determination device, which is designed to determine a force applied to the flexible section when the force acts at least partially on the first object and / or the contact section. The force determination device is designed to determine a force value of a force acting at least partially on the first object and / or the contact section on the basis of a measured value of the measured variable. The invention also relates to a system (200) having at least three measured value determination devices, the system being designed to spatially align a first object with a second object on the basis of three measured values, in particular force values. In this way, a higher resolution can be achieved over a larger measurement range.

Description

(19) State Intellectual Property Office (12) Invention Patent Application (10) Application Publication Number (43) Application Publication Date (21) Application Number 202480066233.3 (22) Application Date 2024.08.28 (30) Priority Data 102023123066.2 2023.08.28 DE (85) PCT International Application Entering National Phase Date 2026.04.15 (86) PCT International Application Application Data PCT / EP2024 / 074091 2024.08.28 (87) PCT International Application Publication Data WO2025 / 045954 DE 2025.03.06 (71) Applicant: Smarter Holding GmbH Address: Oldenburg, Germany (72) Inventor: Herger Schürssen (74) Patent Agency: Chengdu Fandian Intellectual Property Agency Co., Ltd. 51258 Patent Attorney Hou Yanchao (51) Int.Cl. H10P 72 / 50 (2026.01) G01L 5 / 00 (2006.01) G01L 5 / 166 (2020.01) G01L 5 / 22 (2006.01) G01R 31 / 28 (2006.01) G01L 1 / 04 (2006.01) G01L 1 / 14 (2006.01) G01L 5 / 165 (2020.01) H10P 72 / 70 (2026.01) H10P 72 / 76 (2026.01) (54) Title of Invention Force Determination Device, Force Determination Method, System and Method for Aligning a First Object with a Second Object (57) Abstract The present invention relates to a force determination device (110), (510), (610) having: (i) a contact segment (111) designed to contact at least a portion of a first object; (ii) a flexible segment (112) connected to the contact segment, wherein the flexible segment is designed to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment; (iii) a measuring head (113), (114), (511), (611) designed to measure a measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the flexible segment; and (iv) a force determination device designed to determine the force value of a force applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable. The invention also relates to a system (200) having at least three measurement determination devices, wherein the system is designed to spatially align a first object with a second object based on the three measurements, particularly force values. In this way,High resolution can be achieved over a large measurement range. Claims 3 pages, Description 12 pages, Drawings 6 pages CN 122095794 A 2026.05.26 CN 1 22 09 57 94 A 1. A force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110''), the force determining device comprising: a contact segment (111) configured to contact at least a portion of a first object; a flexible segment (112) connected to the contact segment (111), wherein the flexible segment (112) is configured to yield when a force is at least partially applied to the first object and / or the contact segment (111); The measuring head (113, 114, 511, 611) is configured to measure the measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the flexible segment (112); and a force determining device is configured to determine the force value of a force acting at least partially on the first object and / or the contact segment (111) based on the measured value of the measured variable, wherein the measuring head includes an interferometer (113, 114), a capacitance measuring head (511), or an optical encoder (611), and / or wherein the measuring head is configured to measure a distance change of 0.1 nm to 1 µm as the measured variable, preferably, the measuring head is configured to measure a distance change of up to 100 nm as the measured variable, and / or wherein the force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') is configured to measure a force of 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably, The force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') is configured to measure forces up to 1 mN. 2. The force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') according to claim 1, wherein the force determining device further includes at least one limiting segment (115, 116), said at least one limiting segment being configured to spatially limit the yielding degree of the flexible segment (112). 3. The force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the interferometer (113, 114) is configured to measure distance changes as the measured variable. 4. The force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible segment (112) is configured such that when a force acts at least partially perpendicular to the surface of the flexible segment (112) in a predetermined direction, the flexible segment (112) yields in the predetermined direction. 5. A force determining method (300).The force determination method includes the following steps: bringing at least a portion of a first object into contact with a contact segment (111) (310); yielding a flexible segment (112) connected to the contact segment (111) when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment (111) (320); measuring (330) a measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the flexible segment (112); and determining (340) the force value of the force applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable, - wherein the measured value of the measured variable is measured using an interferometer, a capacitance measurement head, or an optical encoder, and / or - wherein the measured variable includes a distance variation of 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably, the measured variable includes a distance variation of up to 100 nm, and / or wherein the force value includes a value of 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably, the force value includes a value of up to 1 mN. 6. A system (200, 200') for aligning a first object with a second object, the system comprising: an alignment device (100, 100'), the alignment device comprising: a first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the first measurement value determining device having: a first contact segment configured to contact at least a first portion of the first object; a first flexible segment connected to the first contact segment, wherein the first flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the first contact segment; and a first measuring head configured to measure a first measurement value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the first flexible segment; and a second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610), the second measurement value determining device having: a second contact segment configured to contact at least a second portion of the first object. A second flexible section, connected to a second contact section, wherein the second flexible section is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the second contact section; and a second measuring head, configured to measure a second measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the second flexible section; and a third measuring value determining device (110'', 510, 610) having: a third contact section configured to contact at least a third portion of the first object; and a third flexible section connected to the third contact section, wherein...The third flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the third contact segment; a third measuring head is configured to measure a third measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the third flexible segment; a common structure (117) connects the first measurement value determining devices (110, 510, 610), the second measurement value determining devices (110', 510, 610), and the third measurement value determining devices (110'', 510, 610) to each other and aligns the first measurement value determining devices (110, 510, 610), the second measurement value determining devices (110', 510, 610), and the third measurement value determining devices (110'', 510, 610) to each other in space; and a motion mechanism (210) is configured to move the alignment devices (100, 100') in at least three degrees of freedom. The motion mechanism (210) is further configured to spatially align the first object and the second object based on the first measurement value, the second measurement value, and the third measurement value. The first, second, and third measurement heads each include an interferometer, a capacitance measurement head, or an optical encoder. Preferably, the first, second, and third measurement heads are configured identically. Alternatively, the first, second, and third measurement heads are each configured to measure distance changes from 0.1 nm to 1 µm as their respective measurement values. Preferably, the first, second, and third measurement heads are each configured to measure distance changes up to 100 nm as their respective measurement values. 7. The system (200, 200') according to claim 6, wherein the motion mechanism (210) corresponds to a 3D motion mechanism or a 6D motion mechanism. 8. The system (200, 200') according to any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein the motion mechanism (210) corresponds to a parallel motion mechanism. 9. The system (200, 200') according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the first object is in contact with the first contact segment of the first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the second contact segment of the second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610), and the third contact segment of the third measurement value determining device (110'', 510, 610).And the first object is held on the common structure (117). 10. The system (200, 200') according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610) and the third measurement value determining device (110'', 510, 610) all correspond to the force determining device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 11. A method (400) for aligning a first object with a second object, the method comprising the steps of: contacting at least a portion of the first object with a first contact segment of a first measurement determining device (110, 510, 610), a second contact segment of a second measurement determining device (110', 510, 610), and a third contact segment of a third measurement determining device (110'', 510, 610) (410); yielding a flexible segment connected to a respective contact segment when a force is at least partially applied to the first object and / or the contact segment (420); measuring (430) a measured value of a measured variable relating to the corresponding yielding of the flexible segment; and, based on the measured value, spatially aligning the first object with the second object using a motion mechanism (210), the motion mechanism being configured to move the first object in at least three degrees of freedom, wherein the measured value of the measured variable is measured using an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder, and / or Wherein, the measured variables all include distance variations from 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably, the measured variables all include distance variations up to 100 nm. 12. The method (400) of claim 10, further comprising the step of: spatially aligning the second object with the first object using an additional motion mechanism based on the measured value, the additional motion mechanism being configured to move the second object in at least three degrees of freedom. 13. The method (400) of any one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the first object and the second object are aligned such that the measured value corresponds to a predefined measured value, particularly, the measured value is equal in magnitude to the predefined measured value. 14. The method (400) of any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising the step of: after spatial alignment, spacing the first object from the second object and / or spacing the second object from the first object. 15. The method (400) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, further comprising the step of: determining (440) the value of a force acting at least partially on the first object and / or on the corresponding contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable, wherein,The first object and the second object are spatially aligned based on the force value. Claims 3 / 3 Page 4 CN 122095794 A Force determination device, force determination method, system and method for aligning a first object and a second object

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and particularly to the alignment of flat objects in the semiconductor field, such as wafers, masks, probe cards, surface grippers and / or substrates. In particular, the invention can relate to all such fields in which components (e.g., multiple or one compact components) are to be aligned with a substrate, wherein further processing steps, such as thermoforming bonding, can then be performed after alignment, for which a high force must be applied to the components.

[0002] For alignment, the components can be picked up, for example, by a gripper, wherein the accuracy of the alignment performed by the gripper can be determined by the contact between the gripper and the component (wafer, substrate). It is also necessary, for example, in a further processing step, to apply the force acting on the components as uniformly as possible via the gripper.

[0003] It is generally known that kinematic / motion mechanisms are used for alignment, particularly parallel motion mechanisms, wherein the motion mechanism may correspond to a 3D or 6D motion mechanism.

[0004] The following solutions are particularly well known for aligning a movable flat object with another flat object to achieve a specific contact force or a specific distance: For example, the gap between the flat objects can be optically monitored and determined, for example using a camera, a light source and corresponding markers (see, for example, B. Huang, C. Wang, H. Fang, S. Zhou and T. Suga: “Moiré-Based Alignment Using Centrosymmetric Grating Marks for High-Precision Wafer Bonding,” Micromachines 10(5):339, May 2019; DOI: 10.3390 / mi10050339, or MMR Howlader, H. Okada, T. H. Kim, T. Itoh and T. Suga: “Wafer Level Surface Activated Bonding Tool for MEMS Packaging,” Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 151(7), G461-G467, May 2004, DOI: 10.1149 / 1.1758723).

[0005] The use of stress sensors is also known, in which,Stress sensors can be used to detect contact across the entire wafer during bonding. Stress sensors can be, for example, strain gauges (see, e.g., S. Kawashima, M. Imada, K. Ishizaki, S. Noda: “High-Precision Alignment and Bonding System for the Fabrication of 3-D Nanostructures,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 2007, 16(5): 1140-1144).

[0006] Alternatively, spacers can be used to set a predetermined distance between objects. Depending on the application, these spacers are removed during bonding (see, e.g., S. Farrens and S. Sood: “Precision Wafer to Wafer Packaging Using Eutectic Metal Bonding,” Suss report, July 2008, 6-11).

[0007] However, known solutions each have some drawbacks. Optical distance measurement using a camera requires a transparent object with a mark at the measurement point and a narrow tolerance between the height of the measurement point and the height of the actual object subsequently contacted.

[0008] Stress sensors only measure the total force throughout the bonding process and cannot move flat objects to a predetermined distance. They also have low resolution because the sensors must withstand sometimes high forces during bonding.

[0009] On the other hand, spacers can cause high or uneven stress on the wafer because they are typically attached to the edges. Removing spacers can also cause lateral displacement. Predefined forces cannot be achieved here either.

[0010] Therefore, it is desirable to propose a solution that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and, in particular, provides high measurement accuracy over a wide measurement range. Specification 1 / 12 pages 5 CN 122095794 A

[0011] According to a first aspect of the invention, a force determination device as defined in claim 1 is provided, namely, the force determination device comprising: (i) a contact segment configured to contact at least a portion of a first object, (ii) a flexible segment connected to the contact segment, wherein the flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment, (iii) a measuring head configured to measure a measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the flexible segment, and (iv) a force determination device.The force determining device is configured to determine the force value of at least partially acting on the first object and / or the contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable, wherein the measuring head includes an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder, and / or wherein the measuring head is configured to measure a distance change of 0.1 nm to 1 µm as the measured variable, preferably, the measuring head is configured to measure a distance change up to 100 nm as the measured variable, and / or wherein the force determining device is configured to measure a force of 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably, the force determining device is configured to measure a force up to 1 mN.

[0012] That is, the measuring head includes an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder. Alternatively or additionally, the measuring head is configured to measure a distance change of 0.1 nm to 1 µm as the measured variable, preferably, the measuring head is configured to measure a distance change up to 100 nm as the measured variable. In addition, or alternatively, the force determining device is configured to measure forces from 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably, the force determining device is configured to measure forces up to 1 mN.

[0013] According to a second aspect of the invention, a force determination method as defined in claim 5 is provided, the force determination method comprising the steps of: (i) contacting at least a portion of a first object with a contact segment; (ii) yielding a flexible segment connected to the contact segment when a force is at least partially applied to the first object and / or the contact segment; (iii) measuring a measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the flexible segment using a measuring head; and (iv) determining the force value of the force at least partially applied to the first object and / or the contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable, wherein the measured value of the measured variable is measured using an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder; and / or wherein the measured variable includes a distance variation of 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably, the measured variable includes a distance variation of up to 100 nm; and / or wherein the force value includes a value of 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably, the force value includes a value of up to 1 mN.

[0014] According to a third aspect of the invention, a system for aligning a first object with a second object is provided, wherein the system includes an alignment device and a motion mechanism. The alignment device includes a first measurement determination device having (i) a first contact segment configured to contact at least a first portion of the first object, (ii) a first flexible segment connected to the first contact segment, wherein the first flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the first contact segment, and (iii) a first measuring head.The first measuring head is configured to measure a first measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the first flexible segment. Furthermore, the alignment device includes a second measuring value determining device having (i) a second contact segment configured to contact at least a second portion of the first object, (ii) a second flexible segment connected to the second contact segment, wherein the second flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the second contact segment, and (iii) a second measuring head configured to measure a second measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the second flexible segment. Additionally, the alignment device includes a third measurement determination device having: (i) a third contact segment configured to contact at least a third portion of the first object; (ii) a third flexible segment connected to the third contact segment, wherein the third flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the third contact segment; and (iii) a third measuring head configured to measure a third measurement value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the third flexible segment. Furthermore, the alignment device includes a common structure that connects the first measurement determination device, the second measurement determination device, and the third measurement determination device to each other and spatially aligns them. The motion mechanism of the system is configured to move the alignment device in at least three degrees of freedom, and is also configured to spatially align the first object and the second object based on a first measurement value, a second measurement value, and a third measurement value, wherein the first measurement head, the second measurement head, and the third measurement head respectively include an interferometer, a capacitance measurement head, or an optical encoder, wherein the first measurement head, the second measurement head, and the third measurement head are preferably configured identically, and / or wherein the first measurement head, the second measurement head, and the third measurement head are all configured to measure distance changes from 0.1 nm to 1 µm as their respective measurement values, preferably, the first measurement head, the second measurement head, and the third measurement head are all configured to measure distance changes up to 100 nm as their respective measurement values.

[0015] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, a method for aligning a first object and a second object is provided.The process includes the following steps: (i) bringing at least a portion of a first object into contact with a first contact segment of a first measurement value determining device, a second contact segment of a second measurement value determining device, and a third contact segment of a third measurement value determining device; and (ii) when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or at least one of the first, second, and third contact segments, yielding a first flexible segment of the first measurement value determining device, a second flexible segment of the second measurement value determining device, and a third flexible segment of the third measurement value determining device, wherein the first flexible segment, the second flexible segment, and the third flexible segment are respectively connected to the first contact segment, the second contact segment, and the third contact segment. (iii) Using a first measuring head, a second measuring head, and a third measuring head to measure the first, second, and third measured values ​​of the measured variables related to the respective yielding of the first, second, and third flexible sections, and (iv) using a motion mechanism to spatially align the first object with the second object based on the first, second, and third measured values, the motion mechanism being configured to move the first object in at least three degrees of freedom, wherein the measured values ​​of the measured variables are measured using an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder, and / or wherein the measured variables each include a distance variation of 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably, the measured variables each include a distance variation of up to 100 nm.

[0016] Combining a flexible segment, which can be understood as a bending transducer, with a measuring head (or, additionally or alternatively, a force determination device configured to measure forces from 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably up to 1 mN), the measuring head comprising an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder and / or the measuring head configured to measure distance changes from 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably up to 100 nm, has the advantage of achieving higher resolution and / or higher sensitivity over a larger measurement range, which is due to the incremental principle of the corresponding measuring head and is not achievable by conventional methods.

[0017] Part of the background of the invention can be found in the following considerations.

[0018] Generally, higher sensitivity requires a flexible structure that yields significantly when a force is applied. The relatively large movement of the flexible structure during force measurement results in a corresponding positional change or a large positional error. In addition, the measurement range is limited by the ratio of resolution to measurement range—the dynamic measurement range—which is typically fixed in absolute sensors. This problem can be overcome by using a measuring head such as an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder to measure the force or force-related measurements, preferably configured to measure distance changes from 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably up to 100 nm, or wherein...The force determining device is configured to measure forces from 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably up to 1 mN. This allows even minute deflections of the structure to be detected, keeping positional errors low; in particular, structural deflections in the nanometer range can be detected. Due to the high measurement accuracy of the measuring head, a structure with high rigidity can be used, enabling high resolution over a large measurement range. The large measurement range is also possible because, as stated on page 3 / 12 of the specification below (CN 122095794 A), the measuring head, such as an interferometer, capacitance measuring head, or optical encoder, measures incrementally and is therefore independent of resolution.

[0019] In an advantageous embodiment of one aspect of the invention, the force determining device or measurement determining device includes at least one limiting section configured to spatially limit the degree of yielding / deflection of a flexible section. The limiting section can, for example, be implemented as a stop or end stop, and allows a large force to be applied in the direction of the limiting section. This enables further processing of flat objects, such as bonding, using higher forces.

[0020] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the interferometer is configured to measure distance changes as the measured variable. Where the measuring head includes the interferometer, the interferometer has at least one radiation source, a fixed mirror, a variable mirror, and a detector, wherein the radiation source is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation that is reflected back to the detector via the fixed mirror and the variable mirror. The fixed mirror is connected to a region of a force determining device or a measurement determining device, the region having a fixed position relative to the interferometer. Here, "fixed" means that the position of the mirror does not change during measurement, while "variable" means that the position of the mirror can change during measurement. In particular, the variable mirror is connected to a flexible section, wherein the position of the mirror is defined by the position of the flexible section. The distance change between the fixed mirror and the variable mirror is preferably used to back-calculate the force acting on the flexible section, so that the force can be determined via the distance change.

[0021] Where the measuring head includes a capacitance measuring head, the capacitance measuring head is preferably integrated into the structure so that the yield of the flexible section can be measured. A capacitive action surface is particularly preferred for this purpose. For example, the capacitance measuring head can be arranged on the flexible section. Then, in the case where a capacitive surface is provided, the capacitive surface is arranged on the fixed section of the force determining device. Alternatively, the capacitance measuring head can be arranged on the fixed section of the force determining device. Then, in the case where a capacitive surface is provided, the capacitive surface is arranged on the flexible section.

[0022] In the case where the measuring head includes an optical encoder, the sensor strip is preferably attached to the flexible section, wherein the optical encoder is also preferably configured to detect movement of the sensor strip. The optical encoder is arranged on the fixed section of the force determining device. Alternatively,An optical encoder can be arranged on a flexible section, wherein the sensor strip is arranged on a fixed section of the force determining device.

[0023] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the flexible section is configured to yield in a predetermined direction when a force acts at least partially perpendicular to the surface of the flexible section in a predetermined direction. For this purpose, it is sufficient for the flexible section to be flexible in one direction, such that the force or force-related measurement corresponds only to the amount of the force or the amount of the force-related measurement in the predetermined direction.

[0024] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, a system for aligning a first object with a second object is provided, wherein the system includes an alignment device and a motion mechanism. The alignment device has: a first force determining device according to one of the above embodiments, wherein the force determining device of the first force determining device is configured to determine a first force value as a force value; a second force determining device according to one of the above configurations, wherein the force determining device of the second force determining device is configured to determine a second force value as a force value; and a third force determining device according to one of the above configurations, wherein the force determining device of the third force determining device is configured to determine a third force value as a force value. Additionally, the alignment device includes a common structure that connects the first force determining device, the second force determining device, and the third force determining device to each other and aligns them spatially. The motion mechanism of the system is configured to move the alignment device in at least three degrees of freedom, and the motion mechanism is also configured to spatially align the first object and the second object based on the first force value, the second force value, and the third force value.

[0025] In a preferred variant of the above embodiment, the motion mechanism corresponds to a 3D motion mechanism or a 6D motion mechanism. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the motion mechanism corresponds to a parallel motion mechanism. Specification 4 / 12 pages 8 CN 122095794 A

[0026] It is also preferred that the first object contacts the contact segments of the first force determining device, the second force determining device, and the third force determining device, and the first object is held on the common structure. In particular, the first object contacts the contact segments of the first force determining device, the second force determining device, and the third force determining device via the common structure.

[0027] In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the force determination method can be used to align a first object with a second object. The method for aligning the first object with the second object includes the steps of: (i) bringing at least a portion of the first object into contact with contact segments of a first force determining device, a second force determining device, and a third force determining device; and (ii) yielding flexible segments connected to the respective contact segments when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segments.(iii) Using a measuring head to measure the measured value of the variable to be measured related to the corresponding yield of the flexible segment, and (iv) based on these measurements, using a motion mechanism to spatially align the first object with the second object, the motion mechanism being configured to move the first object in at least three degrees of freedom.

[0028] Preferably, the measuring head comprises an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder, wherein these measuring heads are particularly preferably configured identically.

[0029] Alternatively or additionally, the measuring heads are respectively configured to measure distance changes from 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably up to 100 nm, as their respective measured values, and / or wherein the first measurement value determining device, the second measurement value determining device, and the third measurement value determining device are respectively configured to measure forces from 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably up to 1 mN.

[0030] Thus, the motion mechanism can be controlled based on the measured values ​​determined or measured using such measuring heads. This results in higher accuracy of measurement and control, i.e., higher resolution and / or higher sensitivity. For the system or method according to the invention, a flexible structure with high rigidity can also be selected, so that force values ​​can be determined over a large measurement range. For example, a sensitivity of 5 nm or 100 µN and a measurement range of 10 N produce a dynamic range of 100,000. In this case, the stiffness is approximately 20 N / mm. The measurement range is preferably also adjustable and is determined by the clearance to the end stop. Alternatively, other characteristics are also possible, such as those determined by the thickness of the bending beam.

[0031] In an advantageous embodiment of the method, the method includes the additional step of: (vi) aligning the second object spatially with the first object using an additional motion mechanism based on these measurements, said additional motion mechanism being configured to move the second object in at least three degrees of freedom.

[0032] In another advantageous embodiment of the method, the first object is aligned with the second object such that the measurements correspond to predefined measurements, in particular, the measurements are equal in magnitude to the predefined measurements. The predefined measurements are preferably close to the resolution limit, particularly for pure alignment methods, or for bonding methods, and are large values.

[0033] In another advantageous embodiment, the method further includes the step of: after spatial alignment, spacing the first object from the second object and / or spacing the second object from the first object. This is particularly desirable if the two objects are to be aligned at a predefined distance and a predefined angle to each other.

[0034] In another advantageous embodiment, the method further includes the step of: determining, based on measurements of the measured variable, the force values ​​acting at least partially on the first object and / or on the corresponding contact segments, wherein the first object and the second object are spatially aligned based on these force values.

[0035] Preferably,The motion mechanism includes: a first motion mechanism, preferably a parallel motion mechanism, having at least three degrees of freedom; and a second motion mechanism, which can also be understood as a detection system, also having at least three degrees of freedom. The second motion mechanism is arranged below or behind the first motion mechanism relative to the first object. Therefore, the first object and the second object can be aligned with respect to the distance between the first object and the second object and the angle between the two objects. Specification 5 / 12 page 9 CN 122095794 A

[0036] The contact segment is a segment of the force-determining device that contacts at least a portion of the first object. In particular, the contact segment can be configured to contact at least a portion of the first object via a connecting segment. Thus, the contact segment contacts the connecting segment, and the connecting segment contacts at least a portion of the first object. The connecting segment can be, for example, a shared structure, in which case the contact segment contacts the shared structure, and the shared structure contacts at least a portion of the first object. Alternatively or additionally, an element can be attached to the first object such that the contact segment does not directly contact the first object, but rather contacts the element attached thereto. In any case, the contact segment is configured to maintain a spatially fixed relationship with the first object through contact, so that force can be transmitted.

[0037] The flexible segment is connected to the contact segment, particularly structurally, i.e., there is a structural connection between the flexible segment and the contact segment. In a preferred embodiment, the contact segment and the flexible segment are configured as a single piece. In particular, the force determination device or measurement value determination device according to the invention includes a body, wherein the body includes the flexible segment and the contact segment. Preferably, the force determination device or measurement value determination device according to the invention has a fixed segment. In particular, the contact segment is connected to the fixed segment via the flexible segment. Preferably, the flexible segment includes at least one connecting post, particularly preferably two connecting posts, wherein the contact segment is connected to the fixed segment via the connecting post or the two connecting posts. It is also particularly preferred that the two connecting posts are aligned parallel to each other in the direction of force application. By means of these two connecting posts, a parallelogram structure can be defined. This parallelogram structure has the advantage that no angular change reduces measurement accuracy during force determination or measurement value determination.

[0038] The flexible segment exhibits a degree of flexibility, meaning that when one part of the flexible segment is fixed, for example by being attached to a fixed segment, a second part of the flexible segment can change its position when a force is applied. Specifically, it can be said that when a force is applied, the flexible segment will yield, deflect, bend, or deform. The flexibility is defined by the stiffness of the flexible segment, which in particular depends on the material of the flexible segment, its thickness, and / or shape, etc.

[0039] In cases where the measuring head includes an interferometer, as described above,The interferometer includes a radiation source, a fixed mirror, a variable mirror, and a detector. The variable mirror is preferably arranged on a flexible section or a contact section. The fixed mirror is preferably arranged on a fixed section. Electromagnetic radiation from the radiation source can reach the detector via the fixed mirror and the variable mirror, wherein changes in the position of the variable mirror, i.e., preferably changes in the position of the flexible section or contact section, can be converted into a force acting on the first object. A force determination device is configured to determine the force value of the force acting at least partially on the first object and / or the contact section based on the measured value of the measured variable.

[0040] The features of the preferred embodiments of the invention are particularly defined in the dependent claims, while other advantageous features, embodiments, and implementations will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and the following discussion.

[0041] Hereinafter, the invention will be further illustrated and illustrated with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the force determining device; FIG2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the force determining device; FIG3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the force determining device; FIG4 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the alignment device; FIG5 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the system for aligning a first object with a second object; FIG6 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the system for aligning a first object with a second object; FIG7 shows a schematic flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of the method for determining force according to the invention; and FIG8 shows a schematic flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of the method for aligning a first object with a second object.

[0042] In the accompanying drawings and in the interpretation of these drawings, associated or corresponding elements—where appropriate—are indicated by corresponding or similar reference numerals, whether or not these elements are part of the same embodiment.

[0043] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the force determining device 110. Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a force determining device 110. The force determining device 110 includes a contact section 111 and a flexible section 112. The force determining device 110 also includes a fixing section 119.

[0044] In the illustrated embodiment, the force determining device 110 includes a corner bracket 121 configured to attach at least a portion of the force determining device 110 to a retainer, table, and / or motion mechanism. This attachment may be removable, for example, by screws, or non-removable, for example, by adhesive. The illustrated embodiment of the force determining device 110 also includes a protruding region 118 projecting from the corner bracket 121. The protruding region 118 specifically includes the contact section 111 configured to contact at least a portion of a first object. In particular,The contact segment 111 has a contact point 120 that contacts at least a portion of the first object. The contact segment 111 or contact point 120 is configured to contact at least a portion of the first object directly or via a connecting segment, which may, for example, be configured to share a common structure 117. In this embodiment, the protruding region 118 also includes a portion of a flexible segment 112, wherein, in this embodiment, the flexible segment 112 is partially arranged in the corner bracket 121 and partially arranged in the protruding region 118.

[0045] The contact point 120 may, for example, be implemented by a ball that slides between two rods, thereby causing guidance along the line (also referred to as a kinematic support). Additionally, in such an arrangement, magnets may be positioned above and below the ball.

[0046] In this embodiment, the flexible segment 112 includes two connecting struts, which are arranged one above the other in a cross-sectional view of the force determining device 110. For example, the flexible segment 112, particularly the connecting struts, may have a length of 17 mm. Furthermore, one of the supports may have a width of 15 mm and a thickness of 0.3 mm. These connecting supports define a parallelogram structure. In particular, the flexible segment 112 or the connecting support is configured to change its geometry when a force is applied to the contact segment 111.

[0047] The flexible segment 112 is connected to the contact segment 111. Furthermore, the flexible segment 112 is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment 111. If the flexible segment 112 yields when a force is applied at least partially to the object and / or the contact segment 111, the geometry of the flexible segment 112 changes. In particular, when a force is applied, the contact segment 111 moves downward in FIG. 1, and the connecting support or parallelogram structure deforms.

[0048] The fixed segment 119, the flexible segment 112, and the contact segment 111 can also be understood collectively as a cantilever structure.

[0049] Furthermore, the force determining device 110 includes an interferometer. The interferometer includes at least one radiation source and one detector, described in the figures by reference numeral 113, and two mirrors 114. Specifically, the mirrors 114 correspond to a variable mirror and a fixed mirror. The variable mirror (the upper mirror in FIG. 1) is arranged at the contact segment 111, and the fixed mirror (the lower mirror in FIG. 1) is arranged at the fixed segment 119. When the geometry of the flexible segment 112 changes, the variable mirror at the contact segment 111 changes its position relative to the fixed mirror at the fixed segment 119 or relative to the fixed segment. As an alternative to positioning the fixed mirror on the fixed segment 119, the fixed mirror may also be attached to any other structure having a fixed spatial relationship with the fixed segment 119 and / or the radiation source and detector 113 of the interferometer, such as an attachment to a holder or stage.

[0050] The downward movement of the contact segment 111 in FIG. 1 when a force is applied causes a change in the distance between the mirrors 114. Specifically,When a downward force is applied, the distance between the variable mirror and the fixed mirror decreases.

[0051] Based on the interference signal in the detector 113, the change in distance between the two mirrors 114 can be detected. This change in distance can be directly converted by the force determining device (not shown) into a force acting at least partially on the first object and / or the contact segment 111.

[0052] Preferably, the flexible segment 112 is configured to yield in a predetermined direction, preferably in a direction parallel to the line connecting the two mirrors 114.

[0053] In the illustrated embodiment of the force determining device 110, the fixed segment 119 includes at least one limiting segment, here limiting segments 115 and 116, which are disposed above and below the contact segment 111 in the cross-sectional view of the force determining device. In particular, the limiting segments 115 and 116 are arranged relative to the contact segment 111 such that they spatially restrict the contact segment 111 when the geometry of the flexible segment 112 changes. In other words, the force determining device 110 includes a lower limiting section 115 and an upper limiting section 116, which are configured to spatially limit the degree to which the flexible section 112 deflects upward or downward. When the upper limiting section 116 is present, the contact section 111 is configured to protrude relative to the upper limiting section 116.

[0054] FIG1 illustrates the force determining device 110, wherein if instead of determining or measuring a force, another measurement value related to the force is determined or measured, the illustrated device may also correspond to a measurement value determining device.

[0055] FIG2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the force determining device. The force determining device 510 according to the second embodiment substantially corresponds to the force determining device according to the first embodiment 110, therefore descriptions of corresponding parts or elements are omitted.

[0056] The force determining device 510 includes a capacitance measuring head 511 instead of an interferometer. In the illustrated embodiment, the capacitance measuring head 511 is arranged on a fixed section 119. Furthermore, the force determining device 510 has a capacitive surface 512, which is arranged on the flexible section 112 opposite to the capacitance measuring head.

[0057] Alternatively, the capacitance measuring head 511 may also be arranged on the flexible section 112, wherein, if the capacitive surface 512 is provided, the capacitive surface 512 is arranged on the fixed section 119. The capacitance measuring head 511 can also be used to measure the deflection of the flexible section.

[0058] FIG3 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the force determining device. The force determining device 610 according to the third embodiment substantially corresponds to the force determining device 110 or the force determining device 510, therefore descriptions of the corresponding components or elements are omitted.

[0059] Instead of an interferometer or a capacitance measuring head, the force determining device 610 includes an optical encoder 611. In the illustrated embodiment,An optical encoder 611 is arranged on the fixed section 119. Furthermore, the force determining device 610 has a sensor strip 612 arranged opposite the optical encoder on the flexible section 112.

[0060] Alternatively, the optical encoder 611 may also be arranged on the flexible section 112, wherein the sensor strip is arranged on the fixed section 119. The optical encoder, as a measuring head, can also be used to measure the deflection of the flexible section.

[0061] FIG4 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the alignment device.

[0062] The alignment device 100 in FIG4 includes a first force determining device 110, a second force determining device 110', and a third force determining device 110''. Each of the first force determining device 110, the second force determining device 110', and the third force determining device 110'' is configured to determine a force value, wherein the force determining device of the first force determining device 110 is configured to determine a first force value as a force value, the force determining device of the second force determining device 110' is configured to determine a second force value as a force value, and the force determining device of the third force determining device 110'' is configured to determine a third force value as a force value.

[0063] The alignment device 100 is shown as an example having a force determining device 110, i.e., having a force determining device 110 including an interferometer. Alternatively, the alignment device 100 may also include a force determining device 510 (i.e., each having a capacitance measurement head) or a force determining device 610 (i.e., each having an optical encoder). This also applies to the alignment device 100' and the systems 200, 200' (see below).

[0064] The first force determining device 110, the second force determining device 110', and the third force determining device 110'' are connected to each other and spatially aligned with each other via a common structure specification page 8 / 12 12 CN 122095794 A 117. The common structure 117 is configured here as a flat hollow cylinder that rests on the contact area of ​​the three force determining devices. The common structure 117, configured here as a flat hollow cylinder, may, for example, have a diameter of 50 mm. The greater the distance between the contact surfaces on the three transducers, the better the angular resolution.

[0065] In this embodiment, the common structure 117 has a reinforced wider area in the area in contact with the contact area. The first force determining device 110, the second force determining device 110', and the third force determining device 110'' are respectively configured to be mounted on a common holder, a stage, and / or a motion mechanism. In particular, the common holder or stage may include a motion mechanism. Alternatively, the first force determining device 110, the second force determining device 110', and the third force determining device 110'' can also be directly mounted on the motion mechanism.

[0066] In the illustrated embodiment, the contact sections of the corresponding force determining devices 110, 110', and 110'' share a common structure 117.The common structure 117 contacts at least a portion of the first object. Alternatively, the common structure 117 may be arranged such that the contact segments of the respective force determining devices 110, 110', 110'' directly contact at least a portion of the first object, wherein the common structure 117 does not contact at least a portion of the first object.

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, the alignment device 100 includes three force determining devices 110, 110', 110'', wherein, alternatively, the alignment device 100 may also include three measurement determining devices.

[0068] FIG5 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a system for aligning a first object with a second object.

[0069] The system 200 for aligning a first object with a second object has three force determining devices 110, 110', and 110'', which together with the common structure 117 form the alignment device 100.

[0070] The force determining devices 110, 110', and 110'' shown in FIG5 are embedded in a common retainer 220. Figure 5 also shows a motion mechanism 210 configured to move the alignment device 100 in at least three degrees of freedom.

[0071] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of a system for aligning a first object with a second object.

[0072] The force determining devices 110, 110', and 110'' shown in Figure 6 have geometries different from those of the force determining devices 110 in Figures 1 through 5. In particular, the force determining devices 110, 110', and 110'' in Figure 6 each have a cubic body instead of a corner bracket, wherein flexible sections are arranged inside the cubic body. Furthermore, the force determining devices 110, 110', and 110'' shown in Figures 1 through 5 each have protruding sections on which contact sections are arranged.

[0073] Figures 5 and 6 differ in principle in the following aspects. In particular, the connection of the interferometer head is addressed in a different manner. Figure 5 shows a corner bracket on which the alignment unit for the sensor head can be housed, while the interferometer head in Figure 6 is directly mounted in the bending unit, i.e., in the fixed section 119. In Figure 6, the ball of contact point 120 can be seen because the common structure 117 is hidden in the figure.

[0074] For clarity, the common structure 117 is not shown in Figure 6. In particular, the geometry of the common retainer 220 and its connection to the motion mechanism 210 can be seen particularly clearly. Figure 6 again shows the motion mechanism 210, which is configured to move the alignment device 100' in at least three degrees of freedom. In particular, the motion mechanism 210 contacts the common retainer 220.

[0075] The motion mechanism 210 in Figures 5 and 6 is configured to spatially align the first object based on a first force value, a second force value, and a third force value. In particular,System 200 in Figure 5 or system 200' in Figure 6 can be used to spatially align a first object with a second object. The first object to be aligned with systems 200 and 200' contacts the contact segments of the first force determining device 110, the second force determining device 110', and the third force determining device 110'' via a common structure 117. In the case where the measurement value determining device is used instead of the force determining device, the motion mechanism 210 is configured to spatially align the first object based on the first, second, and third measurement values ​​as described on pages 9 / 12 of the specification, CN 122095794 A.

[0076] The motion mechanism 210 corresponds to a 6D motion mechanism, but alternatively may also correspond to a 3D motion mechanism. Furthermore, the motion mechanism 210 corresponds to a parallel motion mechanism.

[0077] Figure 7 shows a schematic flowchart of an embodiment of the method for determining force according to the present invention. The method 300 according to the invention includes at least the steps of contact 310, yielding of a flexible segment 320, measurement 330, and determination of a force value 340. Step 310 specifically includes (i) contacting at least a portion of a first object with the contact segment 111. Step 320 includes (ii) yielding of a flexible segment 112 connected to the contact segment 111 when a force is at least partially applied to the first object and / or the contact segment 111. Step 330 includes (iii) measuring a measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the flexible segment 112. Step 340 includes (iv) determining the force value of the force at least partially applied to the first object and / or the contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable.

[0078] Preferably, the measured variable is a distance variation of 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably up to 100 nm, and / or the force value is in the range of 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably up to 1 mN. In particular, the measured value is preferably measured by an interferometer, a capacitance measurement head, or an optical encoder.

[0079] FIG8 shows a schematic flowchart of an embodiment of a method for aligning a first object with a second object. Method 400 includes at least the steps of contact 410, yielding of a flexible segment 420, measurement 430, and spatial alignment 450. Preferably, method 400 further includes determining a force value 440. Step 410 includes (i) contacting at least a portion of the first object with contact segments of a first force determining device 110, a second force determining device 110', and a third force determining device 110''. Step 420 includes (ii) when a force is at least partially applied to the first object and / or contact segments,The flexible segment connected to the contact segment is yielded. Step 430 includes (iii) measuring the measured value of the measured variable related to the corresponding yielding of the flexible segment. Step 440 includes (iv) determining the force value acting at least partially on the first object and / or on the corresponding contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable. Step 450 includes (v) spatially aligning the first object and the second object using a motion mechanism 210 based on these force values, the motion mechanism 210 being configured to move the first object in at least three degrees of freedom.

[0080] Preferred measured variables are distance variations from 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably up to 100 nm, and / or force values ​​in the range of 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably up to 1 mN. In particular, the measured values ​​are preferably measured by an interferometer, a capacitance measurement head, or an optical encoder.

[0081] Furthermore, method 400 may include step 460, wherein step 460 includes spatially aligning the second object with the first object using an additional motion mechanism based on these force values, said additional motion mechanism being configured to move the second object in at least three degrees of freedom.

[0082] In particular, it is preferred that the first object and the second object be aligned such that the determined force values ​​correspond to predefined force values, and in particular, the determined force values ​​are equal in magnitude to the predefined force values.

[0083] Furthermore, method 400 may include step 470, which, after spatial alignment, includes spacing the first object and the second object apart and / or spacing the second object apart from the first object.

[0084] It should be noted that in order to align the first object with the second object using the system and / or method according to the invention, it is not necessary to determine the force values ​​based on measurements associated with the corresponding yield of the flexible segment and then align the first object with the second object based on those force values. Instead, calculations aimed at spatially aligning the first object relative to the second object can also be performed directly based on measurements associated with the corresponding yield of the flexible segment.

[0085] Even though different aspects or features of the invention are shown in combination in the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that—unless otherwise stated—the combinations shown and discussed are not exhaustive, and variations thereof are possible. In particular, the elements or feature complexes in the corresponding specification 10 / 12 pages 14 CN 122095794 A can be interchanged between different embodiments. This specifically refers to the force determining device of FIG1 and those force determining devices of FIG6.

[0086] Another consideration regarding the invention is as follows: Combining parallel kinematics having at least three degrees of freedom with a detection system having at least three degrees of freedom located directly below the first object allows the second object to be detected at three points in a force-controlled manner, thereby aligning the first and second objects with each other in terms of distance and angle. After detection,Specific distances can be set. Flat objects do not require any specific equipment for alignment. They only need to be allowed to touch each other.

[0087] Very high resolution down to the nanometer scale can be achieved using suitable actuation and measurement techniques. For example, interferometry combines very high resolution with a measurement range defined only by a flexible structure. By using "kinematic supports," the movable object can always be self-centered and can be easily removed. Appropriate end stops in the flexible structure allow high forces to be transmitted during bonding. Linear or pointed objects can also be approximated by simplifying the principle to two or one degree of freedom.

[0088] The advantages of this invention are that any flat object can be aligned. Additionally, alignment can be achieved in three degrees of freedom, namely distance and angle. Furthermore, force-controlled detection and subsequent distance adjustment can be performed. Depending on the design of the actuation and measurement techniques, very high resolution can be achieved using this invention.

[0089] One embodiment of the invention can be described as follows: The movable object is held by one or more cantilever structures that measure the force at the corresponding support points. The cantilever structures are mounted on a common structure of a motion system with sufficient degrees of freedom. The movable object moves toward the fixed object until a force is detected at each support point, and is adjusted using a motion system. The cantilever structure includes a flexible structure that deforms when an external force is applied. The movable object is held at the support points of the flexible structure, which change position due to deformation. Optionally, the range of deformation can be limited by mechanical end stops, allowing the end stops to apply higher forces at the respective support points. The force is measured by high-resolution measurement of the deformation, particularly by a laser interferometer, which includes a sensor head and two mirrors.

[0090] The spring constant of the flexible structure, i.e., the force-to-deformation ratio, can be adjusted by changing its geometry. This allows an optimal value to be defined in terms of force sensitivity and operating range. High-resolution measurement makes it possible to achieve high force sensitivity while maintaining rigid support for the moving object. The support points can be balls on line contact—similar to kinematic supports—or flexible hinges, allowing the cantilever structure to move freely in their respective measurement directions without otherwise affecting the position of the moving object.

[0091] In particular, the force determination device or measurement determination device according to the invention can be understood in a preferred embodiment as an interferometer-based tactile sensor. This is preferably a combination of a bending transducer and an interferometer in a special structure, which has the advantage of combining the following practically incombinable characteristics: extremely high resolution (bending in the nm range) or sensitivity, and high structural rigidity. The high resolution is used to maintain low positional error (otherwise, high sensitivity would require a correspondingly strong yielding soft structure).And a large measurement range is achieved due to the incremental principle of the interferometer (preferably with a parallelogram structure). Preferably, an end stop is provided, which allows a large force to be applied in one direction via the end stop.

[0092] An important application is the alignment of two flat objects (e.g., a wafer and an exposure mask) with each other. Force can also be measured if the sensor is calibrated accordingly, especially if a comparison with a reference is available.

[0093] The present invention relates to a force determination device having (i) a contact segment configured to contact at least a portion of a first object, (ii) a flexible segment connected to the contact segment, wherein the flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment, (iii) a measuring head configured to measure a measured value of a measured variable related to the yielding of the flexible segment, and (iv) a force determination device configured to determine the force value of a force applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment based on the measured value of the measured variable. The invention also relates to a system having at least three force determination devices, wherein the system is configured to spatially align a first object with a second object based on three force values. This allows for high resolution over a large measurement range. Instruction manual, page 12 / 12, 16 CN 122095794 A, Figure 1, Figure 2; Instruction manual drawing, page 1 / 6, 17 CN 122095794 A, Figure 3, Figure 4; Instruction manual drawing, page 2 / 6, 18 CN 122095794 A, Figure 5; Instruction manual drawing, page 3 / 6, 19 CN 122095794 A, Figure 6; Instruction manual drawing, page 4 / 6, 20 CN 122095794 A, Figure 7; Instruction manual drawing, page 5 / 6, 21 CN 122095794 A, Figure 8; Instruction manual drawing, page 6 / 6, 22 CN 122095794 A.

Claims

1. A force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110''), said force determining device comprising: A contact segment (111) is configured to contact at least a portion of a first object; A flexible segment (112) connected to the contact segment (111), wherein the flexible segment (112) is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment (111); Measuring heads (113, 114, 511, 611), the measuring heads being configured to measure the measured values ​​of the measured variables related to the yielding of the flexible segment (112); and A force determining device configured to determine the force value of a force acting at least partially on the first object and / or the contact segment (111) based on the measured value of the measured variable. - Wherein, the measuring head includes an interferometer (113, 114), a capacitance measuring head (511) or an optical encoder (611), and / or - Wherein, the measuring head is configured to measure distance changes from 0.1 nm to 1 µm as the measured variable, preferably, the measuring head is configured to measure distance changes up to 100 nm as the measured variable, and / or wherein, the force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') is configured to measure forces from 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably, the force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') is configured to measure forces up to 1 mN.

2. The force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') according to claim 1, wherein, The force determining device further includes at least one limiting section (115, 116) configured to spatially limit the degree of yielding of the flexible section (112).

3. The force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein, The interferometers (113, 114) are configured to measure distance changes as the measured variable.

4. The force determining device (110, 510, 610, 110', 110'') according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The flexible segment (112) is configured such that when a force acts at least partially perpendicular to the surface of the flexible segment (112) in a predetermined direction, the flexible segment (112) yields in the predetermined direction.

5. A force determination method (300), the force determination method comprising the following steps: Make at least a portion of the first object contact the contact segment (111) (310); When a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment (111), the flexible segment (112) connected to the contact segment (111) yields (320). The measured value of the measured variable (330) is related to the yield of the flexible section (112); as well as The force value of the force acting at least partially on the first object and / or the contact segment is determined based on the measured value of the measured variable (340). - Wherein, the measured value of the measured variable is measured using an interferometer, a capacitance measurement head, or an optical encoder, and / or - Wherein, the measured variable includes a distance variation of 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably, the measured variable includes a distance variation of up to 100 nm, and / or wherein, the force value includes a value of 1 µN to 10 mN, preferably, the force value includes a value of up to 1 mN.

6. A system (200, 200') for aligning a first object with a second object, the system comprising: Alignment device (100, 100'), the alignment device comprising: The first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610) has the following features: A first contact segment, the first contact segment being configured to contact at least a first portion of a first object; A first flexible segment, connected to the first contact segment, wherein the first flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the first contact segment; and A first measuring head, configured to measure a first value of a measured variable related to the yield of the first flexible segment. The second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610) has the following features: The second contact segment is configured to contact at least a second portion of the first object. A second flexible segment, connected to the second contact segment, wherein the second flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the second contact segment; and A second measuring head, configured to measure a second value of the measured variable related to the yield of the second flexible segment. The third measurement value determination device (110'', 510, 610) has the following features: A third contact segment, the third contact segment being configured to contact at least a third portion of the first object; A third flexible segment, connected to the third contact segment, wherein the third flexible segment is configured to yield when a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the third contact segment; and A third measuring head, configured to measure a third value of the measured variable related to the yield of the third flexible segment, and A shared structure (117) connects the first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610), and the third measurement value determining device (110'', 510, 610) to each other, and spatially aligns the first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610), and the third measurement value determining device (110'', 510, 610) to each other. Motion mechanism (210), configured to move the alignment device (100, 100') in at least three degrees of freedom, The motion mechanism (210) is further configured to spatially align the first object and the second object based on the first measurement value, the second measurement value, and the third measurement value. - Wherein, the first measuring head, the second measuring head, and the third measuring head all include an interferometer, a capacitance measuring head, or an optical encoder, wherein the first measuring head, the second measuring head, and the third measuring head are preferably configured identically, and / or - Wherein, the first measuring head, the second measuring head and the third measuring head are all configured to measure distance changes from 0.1 nm to 1 µm as their respective measured values. Preferably, the first measuring head, the second measuring head and the third measuring head are all configured to measure distance changes up to 100 nm as their respective measured values.

7. The system (200, 200') according to claim 6, wherein, The motion mechanism (210) corresponds to a 3D motion mechanism or a 6D motion mechanism.

8. The system (200, 200') according to any one of claims 6 and 7, wherein, The motion mechanism (210) corresponds to a parallel motion mechanism.

9. The system (200, 200') according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein, The first object is in contact with the first contact segment of the first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the second contact segment of the second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610), and the third contact segment of the third measurement value determining device (110'', 510, 610), and the first object is held on the common structure (117).

10. The system (200, 200') according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610), and the third measurement value determining device (110'', 510, 610) all correspond to the force determining device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

11. A method (400) for aligning a first object with a second object, the method comprising the steps of: At least a portion of the first object is brought into contact (410) with the first contact segment of the first measurement value determining device (110, 510, 610), the second contact segment of the second measurement value determining device (110', 510, 610), and the third contact segment of the third measurement value determining device (110'', 510, 610). When a force is applied at least partially to the first object and / or the contact segment, the flexible segment connected to the corresponding contact segment yields (420). Measure (430) the measured value of the measured variable related to the corresponding yield of the flexible section; as well as Based on the measured values, a motion mechanism (210) is used to spatially align (450) the first object and the second object, the motion mechanism being configured to allow the first object to move in at least three degrees of freedom. - Wherein, the measured value of the measured variable is measured using an interferometer, a capacitance measurement head, or an optical encoder, and / or - Wherein, the measured variables all include distance variations of 0.1 nm to 1 µm, preferably, the measured variables all include distance variations of up to 100 nm.

12. The method (400) according to claim 10, further comprising the following steps: Based on the measured values, the second object is spatially aligned with the first object using an additional motion mechanism configured to allow the second object to move in at least three degrees of freedom.

13. The method (400) according to any one of claims 10 and 11, wherein, The first object is aligned with the second object such that the measured value corresponds to a predefined measured value, specifically, the measured value is equal in magnitude to the predefined measured value.

14. The method (400) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, further comprising the following steps: After spatial alignment, the first object is spaced apart from the second object and / or the second object is spaced apart from the first object.

15. The method (400) according to any one of claims 11 to 13, the method further comprising the following steps: Based on the measured value of the measured variable, the value of the force acting at least partially on the first object and / or on the corresponding contact segment is determined (440). in, The first object and the second object are aligned in space based on the force value.

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