Sustainable measurement technology

Sustainability

With 17 global goals, the 2030 Agenda covers a wide range of topics. Fields of action are, for example, the increased commitment to peace and the rule of law, the fight against corruption, but also high-quality education or the protection of our climate and our resources. At the TU Ilmenau, the theme year 2023 "Sustainability" was launched, in which our institute also participates with projects.

Every production step should run optimally in a sustainable manner and the reject rate should be minimized. Precise and reliable measurement technology is required precisely for this purpose.

The following research topics of our institute particularly promote sustainable production:

Due to the constant progress in the field of nanotechnology with ever smaller structures, the need to detect, measure and manipulate the smallest structures has arisen in recent decades. For this purpose, high-resolution methods have been available since the 1980s (STM, AFM), which, however, can usually only be applied to very small areas and which only allow metrologically traceable measurements at great expense. In order to be able to measure large objects with nanometer resolution, the nanometer measuring machine NMM-1 was developed at the IPMS. This offers a previously unattained measuring range of 25 mm x 25 mm x 5 mm with a resolution of 0.1 nm.

A special feature of all nanomeasuring machines at the IPMS is the arrangement of the miniature interferometers for length measurement. Their measuring axes intersect virtually at the point of contact of the probe sensor with the measured object, which ensures an error-free measurement in all three coordinate axes.

The NMM-1 can be used for a wide variety of measurement tasks, including

- the positioning, manipulation, processing and measurement of objects in microelectronics, micromechanics, optics, molecular biology and microsystems technology

- the measurement of precision parts membranes and microlenses

- the calibration of step height standards and pitch standards

Literature:

Jäger, G.; Manske, E.; Hausotte, T. & Büchner, H.-J.: Nanomessmaschine zur abbefehlerfreien Koordinatenmessung (Nano Measuring Machine for Zero Abbe Offset Coordinate-measuring) In: tm Technisches Messen Plattform für Methoden, Systeme und Anwendungen der Messtechnik, 2000, 67, 319
Manske, E.; Theska, R. & Schott, W.: Nanopositionier-und Nanomessmaschinen-universelle skalenübergreifende Werkzeuge für die Mikro-Nano-Integration In: GMM-Fachbericht-Mikro-Nano-Integration, VDE VERLAG GmbH, 2010
Füßl, R., Manske,E.: Metrologie und Messunsicherheit von Nanopositionier-und Nanomessmaschinen In: Sensoren und Messsysteme 2010, VDE VERLAG GmbH, 2010
Jäger, G.; Manske, E.; Hausotte, T. & Büchner, H.-J.: The Metrological Basis and Operation of Nanopositioning and Nanomeasuring Machine NMM-1, Metrologische Grundlagen und Wirkungsweise der Nanopositionier-und Messmaschine NMM-1 In: tm-Technisches Messen Plattform für Methoden, Systeme und Anwendungen der Messtechnik, 2009, 76, 227-234
Manske, E.; Hausotte, T.; Mastylo, R.; Machleidt, T.; Franke, K. & Jäger, G.: New applications of the nanopositioning and nanomeasuring machine by using advanced tactile and non-tactile probes

Unlike continuous He-Ne laser sources, optical frequency combs (OFC) are mode-locked pulsed lasers, typically based on fiber lasers, that can be stabilized to a highly stable reference in the optical or radio frequency range (e.g., atomic clock or hydrogen maser). Lately commercially available optical frequency combs have opened up new possibilities in tracing back length measurements to the SI-meter definition. Frequency combs allow highly accurate frequency measurements over a wide spectral range. Furthermore the frequency of a metrology laser can be directly traced back to a primary standard (e.g. atomic clock) by creating a permanent link between this lasers and the frequency comb. Thus, the stability of the timing device (e.g., atomic clock via a GPS disciplined oscillator (GPSDO) with a relative frequency stability in the range of 10^-12 ) can be transferred to a He-Ne gas laser by means of the frequency comb.

The "Metrobase" project, funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation, intends to create a new metrological basis based on the frequency comb technology at the TU Ilmenau that will reduce the current measurement uncertainty of the nanomeasurement machine laser interferometers by up to three orders of magnitude. This is accomplished by stabilizing the helium-neon lasers of the NPMM-200 to a single comb line. Thus a new quality in the traceability of the unit of length will be achieved. The combination of frequency comb and nanopositioning technology will altogether lead to a higher level in the field of dimensional metrology at the TU Ilmenau and open up novel concepts for the coupling of frequency comb and nanometrology.

Literature:

S. Cundiff, T. Steven, J. Ye, Colloquium: Femtosecond optical frequency combs. Reviews of Modern Physics, 2003, 75. Jg., Nr. 1, S.
S. Schilt, et al: Noise properties of an optical frequency comb from a SESAM-mode-locked 1.5-μm solid-state laser stabilized to the 10− 13 level. Applied Physics B, 2012, 109. Jg., Nr. 3, S. 391-402.
P. Köchert, U. Blumröder, E. Manske: Ultrastable metrology laser at 633 nm using an optical frequency comb. In: Optical Micro-and Nanometrology VII. International Society for Optics and Photonics, 2018. S. 106780S.
Manske, E., et al: Progress of nanopositioning and nanomeasuring machines for cross-scale measurement with sub-nanometre precision. Measurement Science and Technology, 2020, 31. Jg., Nr. 8, S. 085005

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Sustainability

Range of courses

Experience university

Start of studies

Student Life

Before the study

Range of courses

Study organization

Further offers

Information and Advice

In study

Career Start

Start-up Service

Further training

Alumni

After graduation

Sustainability

Nanopostioning, Nanomeasuring and Nanofabrication Technology

Frequency comb technology

Fiber-coupled miniature interferometer

Planck Balance

1 kg Mass Comparator

Development of self-calibrating/ validating thermometers

Thermal optimization as well as temperature and humidity compensation of precision measuring instruments