JPH116789A - Surface-characteristic measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To observe the surface state of a sample accurately without using another measuring device in the surface-characteristic measuring device, which measures the characteristics of the thin film formed on a solid surface or a base material surface. SOLUTION: A contact needle 2 is brought into contact with the surface of a sample T. With a load being increased by a loading mechanism 3, the sample T is moved in the direction of an arrow A by moving the first - fourth PZT (piezo-actuators) 5B-5E in the up and down direction. At this time, the vertical PZT 5A is moved up and down so that the irradiating position at a detector 14 for the reflected light by a reflecting mirror 12 of laser light is not fluctuated. Thereafter, the contact needle 2 is brought into contact with the surface of the sample T. The surface of the sample T is scanned by the contact needle 2 so that the detecting position of the reflected light at the detector 14 is not fluctuated. Based on the signal indicating the vertical moving amount of the vertical PZT 5A at this time, the three-dimensional shape of the surface of the sample T is displayed on a CRT 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a surface characteristic measuring device for measuring a mechanical characteristic of a solid surface or a thin film.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, for thin films of metals and inorganic materials manufactured by vacuum deposition, sputtering, plasma CVD, or the like, the adhesion between the film and the substrate, particularly the coefficient of friction, hardness, and surface, which are indicators of the adhesion. 2. Description of the Related Art A surface characteristic measuring device for measuring characteristics such as roughness is known.

In such a surface characteristic measuring device,
The contact needle is brought into contact with the sample surface, the sample surface is moved in one direction, the output corresponding to the frictional force between the contact needle and the sample surface is detected, and the magnitude and waveform of the detected output are measured to measure the surface. Measurement devices for measuring physical properties have been proposed.
According to this apparatus, when the sample is moved while increasing the load of the contact needle, the output increases, and when the thin film is separated from the base material, a high-frequency noise waveform is generated. Can be detected.

In the above-described surface characteristic measuring apparatus, it is necessary to associate the relationship between the location where the separation has occurred and the load where the separation has occurred. When observing the location where the separation occurred, etc. The optical microscope provided in the apparatus was used. In order to observe a finer surface state, an electron microscope provided separately is used.

[0005]

However, in order to test the surface characteristics of a substrate such as a semiconductor, it is necessary to observe the surface of the sample at a finer level. Can't respond.
On the other hand, the sample surface can be observed at a very small level using an electron microscope, but since the electron microscope is provided separately from the surface property measurement device, the relationship between the location where the separation has occurred on the sample surface and the load can be measured. Could not be mapped accurately.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a surface characteristic measuring apparatus capable of accurately associating a relationship between a portion where a separation has occurred and a load.

[0007]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a sample stage 4 on which a sample T is mounted, a moving unit 5 for moving the sample stage 4 in a predetermined direction, and a sample surface mounted on the sample stage 4 are provided. The apparatus includes a contact needle 2 that comes into contact, a load unit 3 that applies a load to the contact needle 2, and a detection unit 6 that detects a vertical displacement of the contact needle 2 with respect to the sample T, and moves while applying a predetermined load to the sample T. A vertical movement means 5A for moving the sample T by means 5, applying a scratch to the surface of the sample T by the contact needle 2 and measuring the characteristics of the sample T, and moving the sample table 4 up and down. Then, the contact needle 2 is brought into contact with the sample T after the scratch is formed, the sample T is moved by the moving means 5, and the vertical moving means 5A is moved so as to compensate for the vertical movement of the contact needle 2 due to the scratch during the movement. Control means 10 for driving
The above object is attained by providing an imaging unit 10 for imaging the surface state of the sample T based on the amount of movement of the vertical movement unit 5A during movement.

[0008] In the section of the means for solving the above-mentioned problems, which explains the configuration of the present invention, the drawings of the embodiments of the present invention are used to make the present invention easier to understand. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a surface characteristic measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1, a surface property measuring device according to the present embodiment includes a contact needle 2 attached to a tip of a cantilever 1 made of an elastic member, and a load mechanism attached to the cantilever 1 to load the contact needle 2. 3, a sample stage 4 for holding a sample T having a thin film formed on its surface, a stage 5 for moving the sample T in the direction of arrow A, a detecting unit 6 for detecting displacement of the contact needle 2, and a stage 5 , And a driver 9 for driving the load mechanism 3.
An amplifier 8 for amplifying a detection signal of the detection unit 6,
The driving of the drivers 7, 9, 20 is controlled and the amplifier 8 is controlled.
And a CR for displaying the relationship between the load on the sample T and the displacement of the contact needle 2 according to a command from the control circuit 10.
T11. A reflecting mirror 12 is mounted on the upper surface of the contact needle 2. Note that a reflection area may be formed on the upper surface of the cantilever 1 itself. The load mechanism 3 is composed of a piezo actuator.

The detecting section 6 includes a laser light source 13 for emitting laser light toward the reflecting mirror 12 of the contact needle 2 and a detector for receiving the reflected light of the laser light from the reflecting mirror 12 and detecting the light receiving position. 14 As the detector 14, a CCD line sensor in which a plurality of detection elements are arranged in a line in the direction of arrow B, or a light position detection element (PSD) that outputs a pair of signals according to the incident position can be used.

The stage 5 includes an upper and lower piezo actuator (hereinafter referred to as PZT) 5A for vertically moving the entire stage 4 and first to fourth PZTs 5A provided on the upper and lower PZTs 5A.
PZTs 5B to 5E (see FIG. 1B). When performing the test, it is necessary to move the sample T in the direction of arrow A, but the stage 5 of the present embodiment moves the sample T as follows. That is, the first PZ
T5B and third PZT5D are driven in the direction of arrow C, and second PZT5C and fourth PZT5E are driven in the direction of arrow D. At this time, since the sample T rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1, the contact point between the sample T and the contact needle 2 tends to move upward, but the height of the contact point is kept constant by driving the upper and lower PZTs 5A. And As a result, the sample T is
Moves in a very small order in the direction of arrow A.

On the other hand, in order to observe the surface state of the sample T as will be described later, it is necessary to move the sample T in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. In this case, the first PZT 5B and the second PZT 5C In the direction of arrow C to the third PZT5D
And the fourth PZT 5E is driven in the direction of arrow D. At this time, the contact point between the sample T and the contact needle 2 tends to move upward because the sample T rotates in the front direction on the paper surface, but the height of the contact point is kept constant by driving the upper and lower PZTs 5A. As a result, the sample T moves in a very small order with respect to the contact needle 2 in the front direction of the drawing.

When the contact needle 2 is loaded by the loading mechanism 3 in a state where the contact needle 2 is in contact with the sample T,
The cantilever 1 is bent by the load, and the reflection angle of the reflecting mirror 12 changes. The incident position of the reflected light on the detector 14 changes due to the change in the reflection angle. In the present embodiment, the upper and lower PZTs 5A are driven so that the irradiation position of the reflected light to the detector 14 does not change, and the state of the thin film separation on the sample T is detected.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. First, the sample T is held by the sample stage 4, and the load mechanism 3 is driven to bring the contact needle 2 into contact with the sample T. Then, the first and third PZTs 5B and 5D are
And the fourth PZTs 5C and 5E are respectively driven in the direction of arrow D, and the upper and lower PZTs 5A are driven so that the height of the contact point between the sample T and the contact needle 2 is constant, thereby driving the sample T in the direction of arrow A. I do. At the same time, the load is gradually increased by the load mechanism 3. As a result, the cantilever 1 is bent and the contact needle 2 is displaced, and the reflection angle of the reflecting mirror 12 gradually changes, so that the irradiation position of the reflected light on the detector 14 changes. At this time, if the thin film of the sample T is not peeled off, the relationship between the load applied to the sample T and the displacement of the contact needle 2 changes linearly as shown in FIG. The control circuit 10 drives the upper and lower PZTs 5A to change the height of the sample T so that the irradiation position of the reflected light does not change. Therefore, the upper and lower PZ
The drive amount of T5A fluctuates linearly as shown in FIG.

[0015] During the test in this way,
When peeling occurs in the thin film 15 of the sample T as shown in FIG.
The contact needle 2 moves from the position P1 on the surface of the thin film 15 to a position P2 which is the surface of the peeled thin film 15. As described above, when the position of the contact needle 2 moves, the position of the reflecting mirror 12 also moves, and the irradiation position of the reflected light on the detector 14 changes. For this reason, the detection signal obtained by the detector 14 fluctuates, and the relation between the load applied to the sample T and the displacement of the contact needle 2 fluctuates, as shown at points A and B in FIG. In the present embodiment, even if the position of the contact needle 2 tends to fluctuate due to the peeling of the thin film 15 of the sample T, the contact needle 2
Control circuit 1 so that the contact position between
0 drives the upper and lower PZTs 5A to change the height of the sample T. Therefore, the driving amount of the upper and lower PZTs 5A is
It changes as shown in FIG. 3 like the contact needle 2 when T5A is not driven.

Therefore, based on the signal from the load mechanism 3 and the signal indicating the driving amount of the upper and lower PZTs 5A, the relationship between the load and the moving amount of the upper and lower PZTs 5A as shown in FIG. 3 can be obtained. It is possible to accurately associate the relationship between the place where the occurrence occurs and the load applied when the separation occurs. The graphs of FIGS. 2 and 3 show CRT1
1 is displayed.

After the film on the surface of the sample T is peeled in this way, the stage 5 is driven to return the sample T to the position before the start of the test. Then, the contact needle 2 is brought into contact with the test start position of the sample T to apply a constant load (the smallest load). Then, the stage 5 is driven in the direction of the arrow A and in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and the surface of the sample T is two-dimensionally scanned by the contact needle 2 over the entire surface. At this time, regarding the upper and lower PZTs 5A, the height of the contact point between the contact needle 2 and the sample T does not change regardless of the shape of the sample surface that has been peeled off, that is, reception of reflected light on the detector 14. The vertical movement of the vertical PZT 5A is controlled so that the position becomes constant. This upper and lower P
The signal indicating the amount of movement of ZT5A corresponds to the surface irregularity of sample T.

Therefore, by displaying a signal representing the amount of movement of the upper and lower PZTs 5A on the CRT 11 three-dimensionally, the surface state of the sample T in a state where the thin film has been peeled can be represented as an image. The surface condition can be observed. For example, at a position corresponding to the location A where the film of the sample T has peeled, an image that clearly shows the peeled state can be obtained.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, after performing the test for peeling the film formed on the surface of the sample T,
Since an image representing the surface of the sample T is obtained in the same apparatus, it is possible to easily and accurately know at which position of the sample T the separation has occurred.

In the above-described embodiment, the first to first embodiments
By moving the fourth PZTs 5B to 5E in the vertical direction, the sample table 4 is moved in the direction of arrow A to move the sample T with respect to the contact needle 2, and the sample T is moved in a minute order (unit: μm). Although it is moved, when performing a scratch test on a relatively large order (for example, in mm units),
In addition to the first to fourth PZTs 5B to 5E, a moving device for moving the sample table 4 in the direction of arrow A may be provided, and the moving device may move the sample T in the direction of arrow A. Also in this case, similarly to the above-described embodiment, the upper and lower PZTs 5A are driven so as to compensate for the vertical movement of the contact needle 2 due to the change in the surface state of the sample T, and the sample T is moved based on the amount of movement of the upper and lower PZTs 5A. It detects the surface condition.
Also, when scanning the surface of the sample T in order to display the surface state of the sample T as an image, the sample table 4 is moved by the moving device.
May be moved to detect the surface state of the sample T by driving the upper and lower PZTs 5A.

In the above embodiment, the contact needle 2 is attached to the load mechanism 3 by the cantilever 1, the reflecting mirror 12 is attached to the upper surface of the contact needle 2, and the reflected light from the reflecting mirror 12 is detected by the detector 14. The upper and lower PZTs 5A are driven so as not to change the position of the contact needle 2 upon detection.
As shown in FIG. 5, a frame 30 made of a substantially rectangular rigid body
A leaf spring 31 is provided in a cross shape so as to extend in four directions at equal intervals from the center position of the leaf spring 31, and a contact member 33 having the contact needle 2 at a substantially center position of the leaf spring 31 may be used. In this case, the contact member 33 is mounted substantially perpendicular to the load mechanism 3 as shown in FIG. 6, and its displacement may be measured using a reflection laser displacement meter or an electrostatic displacement meter 40. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a reflective laser displacement meter or an electrostatic displacement meter may be used instead of the detector 14.

In the correspondence between the above embodiment and the claims, the stage 5 is a moving unit, the detecting unit 6 is a detecting unit,
The up / down PZT 5A constitutes up / down moving means, and the control circuit 10 constitutes control means and imaging means.

[0023]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a scratch can be formed on the surface of a sample by the same apparatus and the surface condition of the sample can be imaged. Thus, the location where the separation has occurred and the positional relationship of the surface state can be accurately associated with each other, whereby the surface state of the sample can be accurately observed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a surface characteristic measuring apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line bb of FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the applied load, the displacement of the contact needle, and the amount of movement of the vertical PZT.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the applied load, the displacement of the contact needle, and the amount of movement of the vertical PZT.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which a thin film has been peeled off.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a contact member.

6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a surface characteristic measuring device using the contact member shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cantilever 2 contact needle 3 load mechanism 4 sample gripper 5 stage 5A vertical PZT 5B to 5E PZT 6 detector 7, 9, 20 driver 8 amplifier 10 control circuit 11 CRT 12 reflector 13 laser light source 14 detector

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sample stage on which a sample is placed, a moving means for moving the sample stage in a predetermined direction, a contact needle contacting a surface of the sample placed on the sample stage, and a load applied to the contact needle. Loading means, and a detecting means for detecting the vertical displacement of the contact needle with respect to the sample, and moving the sample by the moving means while applying a predetermined load to the sample,
In a surface property measuring device for forming a scratch on the surface of the sample by the contact needle and measuring the properties of the sample, up and down moving means for moving the sample table up and down, and forming the scratch on the sample after forming the scratch. Control means for moving the sample by the moving means by contacting a contact needle and driving the vertical movement means so as to compensate for vertical movement of the contact needle due to the scratch during the movement; and An imaging means for imaging the surface state of the sample based on the amount of movement of the vertical movement means in the interior.