Full Cross-Sectional Profile Measurement of a High-Aspect-Ratio Micro-Groove Using a Deflection Probe Measuring System

For the full cross-sectional profile measurement of high-aspect-ratio micro-grooves, traditional measurement methods have blind measurement areas in the vertical sidewall and its intersection area with the bottom. This paper proposes a deflection-based scanning method that utilizes a large length-to-diameter ratio probe to achieve a full cross-sectional profile measurement of micro-grooves. Blind measurement areas were eliminated by a deflection-based scanning method. The complete groove profile was obtained by stitching the positive and reversal deflection-based measurement results. The optimal deflection angle of the probe was calculated by considering the profile-stitching setting and the principle of minimizing the probe deformation during the measurement process. A four-axis measurement system was established to measure high-aspect-ratio micro-grooves, which incorporated a force feedback mechanism to maintain a constant contact force during the measurement and an integrated error separation module to modify the measurement results. The measurement method and system were experimentally validated to achieve a full cross-sectional profile measurement of micro-grooves with a width of 50 μm and an aspect ratio of no less than 3. The standard deviation of the measurement results was 82 nm, and the expanded uncertainty was 108 nm.