In recent years there has been a growing market for more universal analysis instruments.
Analysis tools such as AFM1, TEM2 and
nanoindentation work in similar environments. It is therefore possible, within limits, to use the same equipment to do all of these analyses. Conducting
nanoindentation experiments in a TEM has also the
advantage of increased accuracy compared to the tests done today. 1
Atomic Force Microscopy 2 Transmission
Electron MicroscopeThis project is focused on design and fabrication of a capacitive
force sensor for AFM and / or
nanoindentation measurements in a TEM. Nanofactory Instruments, the initiator of this, project, has developed a specimen holder for TEM that can be used for nanoindentation experiments. The measurement
system used today has its limitations of being to large to be mounted in a TEM and thus an improved model was desired.The idea to combine an AFM and
nanoindenter sensor in the same design is however at this stage inhibited by a relatively large
diamond tip that was specified for the nanoindentation experiments. The work was therefore concentrated on the design and fabrication of a
nanoindenter sensor. The design is done with an integrated fixture for
a diamond tip with specified dimensions. The sensor design has been manufactured using double-sided
lithography, DRIE3 etch and
anodic bonding. The resulting
wafer was sawed into components and the components were evaluated. 3 Dry Reactive
Ion EtchEvaluation of the sensor shows that it was possible to manufacture a micromachined
nanoindenter sensor with an integrated fixture for a standard
diamond tip. CV4-measurements conducted with HP 4284A indicates a force dependent
capacitance change when a force within the specification range is applied. Future work will involve a more detailed characterization using a read-out
chip from SmartTec. 4
Capacitance-
Voltage measurements