The paper summarize the PTB activities in the field of silicon sensors for dimensional metrology especially roughness measurements and silicon calibration standards developed during the past ten years. A focus lies in the development of 2D silicon microprobes which enable roughness measurements in nozzles as small as 100 μm in diameter. Moreover these microprobes offer the potential for very fast tactile measurements up to 15 mm/s due to their tiny mass and therefore small dynamic forces. When developing high precision tactile sensors care has to be taken, not to scratch the often soft surfaces. Small probing forces and well defined tip radii have to be used to avoid surface destruction. Thus probing force metrology and methods to determine the radius and form of probing tips have been developed. Silicon is the preferred material for the calibration of topography measuring instruments due to its excellent mechanical and thermal stability and due to the fabrication and structuring possibilities of silicon microtechnology. Depth setting standards, probing force setting standards, tip radius and tip form standards, reference springs and soft material testing artefacts will be presented.

Date Published: 21 May 2015
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 9517, Smart Sensors, Actuators, and MEMS VII; and Cyber Physical Systems, 95170V (21 May 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2179455

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9517:
Smart Sensors, Actuators, and MEMS VII; and Cyber Physical Systems
José Luis Sánchez-Rojas; Riccardo Brama, Editor(s)