Celebrating our latest project with a fitting ‘trophy’

To make a long story short: the precision measuring system is a metrology tool used to measure the level of flatness of a mirror surface in vacuum. These types of mirrors will be used in the upcoming generation of semiconductor machines. PI contributed to this solution with a tailor made, complex piezo system.

Measuring flatness with nano-precision

The mirrors used in the newest semiconductor solutions are constructed in state-of-the-art clean rooms. They are able to reflect EUV-light in the most advanced lithography solutions in the semiconductor industry. To reflect that extreme ultraviolet light properly, you need the flattest surface possible.

Since even the tiniest amount of gravity can deform these mirrors in a way that is unnoticeable to the eye, you need a thorough measuring system. Enter, the solution we’ve worked on. To ensure that the surface of these mirrors is indeed – insanely – flat, it’s measured with nano-precision. To put it in perspective: imagine if we scale the mirror surface area to the size of Germany. If this is the case, the maximum height difference over this whole surface should be less than the size of a tennis ball. Only with this exceptional quality in flatness, the next generation semicon machines that operate with EUV-light, can produce the semiconductor chips of tomorrow.

A ‘little’ reminder for a tremendous collaboration

To celebrate the completion of our project, PI and PInS got together. And, we decided to surprise our partner with a ‘little’ trophy. An accurate scale model of the measuring unit. Just to serve as a ‘little’ reminder of how proud we are of our two-year-collaboration and the results we’ve achieved. Willem-Jan Evers and team: Thank you very much!