• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.800-809
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• 2008

Scanning Thermal Microscope (SThM) is the tool that can map out temperature or the thermal property distribution with the highest spatial resolution. Since the local temperature or the thermal property of samples is measured from the extremely small heat transferred through the nanoscale tip-sample contact, improving the sensitivity of SThM probe has always been the key issue. In this study, we develop a new design and fabrication process of SThM probe to improve the sensitivity. The fabrication process is optimized so that cantilevers and tips are made of thermally grown silicon dioxide, which has the lowest thermal conductivity among the materials used in MEMS. The new design allows much higher tip so that heat transfer through the air gap between the sample-probe is reduced further. The position of a reflector is located as far away as possible to minimize the thermal perturbation due to the laser. These full $SiO_2$ SThM probes have much higher sensitivity than that of previous ones.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1254-1261
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• 2003

In this paper we present a simple and efficient robust optimal design formulation and its application to a resonant-type micro probe. The basic idea is to use the Gradient Index (GI) to improve robustness of the objective and constraint functions. In the robust optimal design procedure, a deterministic optimization for performance of MEMS structures is followed by design sensitivity analysis with respect to uncertainties such as fabrication errors and change of operating conditions. During the process of deterministic optimization and sensitivity analysis, dominant performance and uncertain variables are identified to define GI. The GI is incorporated as a term of objective and constraint functions in the robust optimal design formulation to make both performance and robustness improved. While most previous approaches for robust optimal design require statistical information on design variations, the proposed GI based method needs no such information and therefore is cost-efficient and easily applicable to early design stages. For the micro probe example, robust optimums are obtained to satisfy the targets for the measurement sensitivity and they are compared in terms of robustness and production yield with the deterministic optimums through the Monte Carlo simulation.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.234-239
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• 2007

This paper describes the TiW ohmic contact characteristics under the surface treatment of the polycrystalline 3C-SiC thin film grown on $SiO_2/Si(100)$ wafers by APCVD. The poly 3C-SiC surface was polished by using CMP(chemical mechanical polishing) process and then oxidized by wet-oxidation process, and finally removed SiC oxide layers. A TiW thin film as a metalization process was deposited on the surface treated poly 3C-SiC layer and was annealed through a RTA(rapid thermal annealing) process. TiW/poly 3C-SiC was investigated to get mechanical, physical, and electrical characteristics using SEM, XRD, XPS, AFM, optical microscope, I-V characteristic, and four-point probe, respectively. Contact resistivity of the surface treated 3C-SiC was measured as the lowest $1.2{\times}10^{-5}{\Omega}cm^2$ at $900^{\circ}C$ for 45 sec. Therefore, the surface treatments of poly 3C-SiC are necessary to get better contact resistance for extreme environment MEMS applications.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2007.07a
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• pp.1522-1523
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• 2007

MEMS(Micro Electro Mechanical Systems)기술과 니켈 전기도금 공정을 이용하여 수십 내지 수백개의 탐침소자를 갖는 프르브디바이스(probe device)를 제작하였다. 사용된 기판은 $4000{\AA}$의 oxide가 있는 p-type 실리콘 웨이퍼로서, 기판위에 NiCr과 Au를 증착한 후 PR 패터닝을 통하여 니켈을 전기도금법으로 도금하고 니켈 도금층을 제외한 부분의 NiCr과 Au를 식각함으로서 전류가 흐르는 라인(line)배선과 탐침소자가 세워질 라인을 형성하였다. 그 후 후막의 PR을 코팅하고 탐침소자가 세워질 부분을 패터닝 한 후 전기도금법을 이용하여 니켈 탐침소자를 제작하였다. 제작된 탐침소자 하나의 크기는 $60{\mu}m$의 폭과 $70{\mu}m$의 높이를 보이며, 탐침소자 전체의 크기는 $250{\mu}m$이고 탐침소자와 탐침소자 사이의 간격은 $50{\mu}m$로 제작되었다. 본 연구에서 제작된 탐침소자의 수는 25*2line으로서 총 50개 이지만 이러한 공정방식을 이용하고 탐침소자의 크기를 작게 제작한다면 하나의 프르브 디바이스에 수백 내지수천 개의 탐침소자를 제작할 수 있을 것이다.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2011

Microcantilevers have been actively used in probe-based microscopy and gravimetric sensing for biological or chemical analytes. To integrate actuation or detection schemes in the structure, typical fabrication processes include several photolithographic steps along with conventional MEMS fabrication. In this paper, a simple and straightforward way to fabricate and operate silicon microcantilever mass sensors is presented. The fabricated microcantilever sensors which can be electrostatically actuated require only two photolithographic steps. Resonant characteristics of fabricated microcantilevers are measured with a custom optical-lever and results show size-dependent quality factors. Using a $40\;{\mu}m$ long, $7\;{\mu}m$ wide, and $3\;{\mu}m$ thick cantilever, we achieved subfemtogram mass resolution in a 1 Hz bandwidth.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.8
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• pp.851-856
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• 2012

The design process of a micro-probe tip is very complicated and expensive. To avoid these problems, in this study, we used element (FE) analysis. To simplify design process. A new pre-probe tip (cobra-needle type) made of Ni and Co was designed by FE analysis. Experimental results were compared with those obtained by FE analysis to verify the reliability of the analysis. The contact force and over drive were respectively found to be 12.5 gf(Contact Force) and $100{\mu}m$(Over drive). We propose the new designed probe tip. Material of new designed probe tip is NiCo. Values of Property are 1~2 gf(Contact Force) and $100{\mu}m$(Over drive).

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2001.07c
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• pp.1921-1923
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• 2001

In this work, an array of resistance temperature detector(RTD) was fabricated inside the microchannel in order to investigate in-situ flow characteristics. A rectangular straight microchannel, integrated with RTD's for temperature sensing and a heat source for generating the temperature gradient along the channel. were fabricated with the dimension of $200{\mu}m(W){\times}{\mu}m(D){\times}$48mm(L), while RTD measured precise temperatures at the inside-channel wall. 4" $525{\pm}25{\mu}m$ thick P-type <100> Si wafer was used as a substrate. For the fabrication of RTDs. 5300$\AA$ thick Pt/Ti layer was sputtered on a Pyrex glass wafer. Finally, glass wafer was bonded with Si wafer by anodic bonding, therefore RTD was located inside the microchannel. The temperature distribution inside the fabricated microchannel was obtained from 4 point probe measurements and Dl water is used as a working fluid. Temperature distribution inside the microchannel was measured as a function of mass flow rate and heat flux. As a result, precise temperatures inside the microchannel could be obtained. In conclusion, this novel temperature distribution measurement system will be very useful to the accurate analysis of the flow characteristics in the microchannel.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.293-298
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• 2006

Thermopiezoelectric method, using poly silicon heater and a piezoelectric sensor, was proposed for writing and reading in a probe based data storage system. Resistively heated tip writes data bits while scanning over a polymer media and piezoelectric sensor reads data bits from the self-generated charges induced by the deflection of the cantilever. 34${\times}$34 array of thermopiezoelectric nitride cantilevers were fabricated by a single step wafer level transfer method. We analyzed the noise level of the charge amplifier and measured the noise signal. With the sensor and the charge amplifier 20mn of deflection could be detected at a frequency of 10KHz. Reading signal was obtained from the cantilever array and the sensitivity was calculated.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.296-296
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• 2012

LCD panel 검사를 위한 Probe unit은 대형 TV 및 모바일용 스마트폰을 중심으로 각광을 받고 있는 소모성 부품으로 최근 pitch의 미세패턴화가 급속히 진행되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 Slit Wafer 제작 공정을 최적화하기 위해 25 um pitch의 마스크를 설계, 제작하였다. 단공과 장공을 staggered 형태로 배열하여 25 um/25 um line/space pitch로 설계하였다. 또한 단위실험을 위해 직접 25 um pitch로 설계하여, 동일한 실험조건을 적용하여 최적 조건을 찾고자 하였다. 반응변수는 Etch rate 및 profile angle로 결정하였으며, 약 200~400 um 에칭된 slit의 상단과 하단의 폭, 그리고 식각깊이를 SEM 측정사진을 통해 정한 후 etch rate 및 profile angle을 결정하였다. 인자는 식각속도 및 wall의 각도를 결정하는 식각 및 passivation 가스의 유량, chamber 압력(etching/passivation), 식각시간 등으로 정하였으며, 이들의 최대값과 최소값 2 수준으로 실험계획을 설계하였다. 식각 조건에 따라 8회의 실험을 수행하였다. 가스의 유량은 SF6 400 sccm, C4F8 400 sccm, 식각 싸이클 시간은 5.2~10.4 sec, passivation 싸이클시간 4 sec로 하였으며, 압력은 식각시 7.5 Pa, passivation 시 10 Pa로 할 경우가 가장 sharp하게 나타났다. Coil power 와 platen power는 각각 2.6 KW, 0.14 KW로 하였으며, 최적화를 위한 인자의 값들은 이 범위에서 조절하였다. 이러한 인자의 조건 조절을 통해 etch rate는 5.6 um/min~6.4 um/min, $88.9{\sim}89.1^{\circ}$의 profile angle을 얻을 수 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.253-259
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• 2015

The test equipment becomes more important with the development of semiconductor industry. MEMS probe is an important testing component to detect the defects from the generated electric signal when it contacts the metal pad of semiconductor devices. Ni-Pd alloy has been paid attention to as a candidate of MEMS probe material because of its high surface hardness and relatively low resistivity. In this study, electroplated Ni-Pd alloy has been prepared by using ethylene diamine as a complexing agent. Solid solution alloy coating could be formed when concentration of palladium chloride and current density were in the ranges of 1~5 mM and $0.2{\sim}1.5A/dm^2$, respectively. The increase of current density brought about an decrease in palladium content, which made both of lattice parameter and grain size smaller. As a result of grain refinement, high hardness could be obtained. However, surface cracking was observed due to residual stress when the current density was above $1.3A/dm^2$. When effects of heat treatment temperature on hardness and sheet resistance were investigated, the accompanied grain growth decreased both of them. The decrease of hardness remained stable at a temperature of $200^{\circ}C$. The sheet resistance was drastically reduced at $100^{\circ}C$. After that, it was found to become constant.