JPH01315712A - Micro-manipulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily perform works in the order of microns or submicrons with the title micro-manipulator by setting appropriate relations among the manipulated variable of an operating mechanism and driving quantities of a base and processing mechanism by means of each drive control system and driving the base and processing mechanism. CONSTITUTION:An operator 9 drives a fine adjustable table 2 and fine adjustable robot 4 by operating operation levers 63L and 63R with his both hands by keeping a work 3 and its surrounding area in the field of vision of his both eyes 9L and 9R and moves the work 3 and tool 42. When the operation lever 63L is operated in the direction in which the work 3 is to be moved by observing the work 3, signals are outputted from the load sensor 62L of an operating mechanism 6L in corresponding to the operating direction and manipulated variable of the lever 63L. A controller 8 inputs the signals and moves the work 3 by a desired small quantity by driving a fine adjustable mechanism 21 through a driving device 5L. The displacement of the work is detected by a displaced quantity detecting means provided to the mechanism 21 and fed back to the controller for further control.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a micromanipulator that performs required processing on extremely small samples (workpieces).

[Conventional Technique 1] In various industrial fields, it is necessary to perform processing such as cutting or grinding on minute workpieces, connect conductive wires, or fix the workpiece to other workpieces. Conventionally, such work has been carried out in a room maintained in a predetermined environment using tools held in the human hand under the field of view of an optical microscope.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above-mentioned working means are possible when the workpiece or the workpiece is relatively large, but become difficult as their size decreases and become impossible below a certain limit.

Incidentally, in recent years, in many technical fields, with the development of technology, there has been a demand for work on the micron order or submicron order. Some examples of such work are listed below.

(2) In integrated circuits (ICs) and large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs), the voltages actually applied to predetermined parts of their internal structures and the currents that actually flow are unknown. However, by knowing these voltages and currents, higher performance I
It is expected that it will be possible to create a C.LSI. by the way,
To actually measure the voltage and current, it is necessary to peel off each layer having a thickness on the order of microns to expose a predetermined portion, and to contact this portion with an electrode (probe).

(2) The above-mentioned ICs and LSIs include a step of creating a groove in a silicon workpiece during manufacturing.

Usually, such grooves are formed by etching, but
Etching requires a precise mask during the exposure process,
Since there is a limit to the accuracy of making this mask, it is extremely difficult to form grooves with a depth or width on the order of submicrons, which hinders an increase in the degree of integration. By the way, the submicron order groove is a processing tool (diamond).
However, this requires highly accurate positioning and driving of the processing tool.

■In the field of biotechnology, which has developed rapidly in recent years, gene manipulation (excision, addition, etc.)

replacement) is performed. This requires extremely delicate work such as attaching genes to the tips of ultra-thin glass fibers and transferring them to other parts.

(2) Similarly, in the field of biotechnology, operations such as cutting out one cell membrane to check its components and embedding another cell membrane in place of the cut cell membrane are performed. This requires extremely fine work similar to the above.

■For the most effective cutting with a diamond tool, the tip of the diamond tool must be rounded to the specified radius. For this purpose, it is necessary to grind the tip of the diamond tool to a predetermined radius of curvature on the order of submicrons.

Conventionally, most of the extremely fine work described above has been almost impossible, and even when it is possible, it is accompanied by great difficulty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a micromanipulator that solves the problems of the prior art described above and can easily perform operations on the micron order or submicron order.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a magnifying observation device comprising a vacuum container and a mechanism for magnifying the sample placed in the vacuum container in a manipulator that performs necessary processing on a minute sample. , a table provided in the vacuum container and having a plurality of degrees of freedom and on which the sample is placed; a processing mechanism provided in the vacuum container and processing the sample; and a table that drives the table. 1
and a second drive control system that drives the processing mechanism.

[For production]

A sample is placed on a table, and the sample is magnified and placed in the field of view using a magnifying observation device such as an electron microscope. Next, when commands are sent to the first drive control system and the second drive control system by a suitable operating mechanism, these drive the table and the processing mechanism in accordance with the commands. The amount of operation of the above operation mechanism,
By setting an appropriate relationship between the drive amount of the table and the processing mechanism using each drive control system, the operator can perform work on the micron or submicron order, perhaps in the same way as in normal life. It can be carried out with the same feeling as work.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a micromanipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which l indicates a binocular scanning electron microscope, and 2 indicates a fine movement table installed in the vacuum chamber of the scanning electron microscope l. be. This fine movement table 2 has 6 degrees of freedom (
It is comprised of a fine movement mechanism 21 with six axes) and a load sensor 22 that detects six-axis loads (forces and moments on three orthogonal axes). 3 shows a sample (workpiece) placed and fixed on the fine movement table 2. 4 is a fine movement robot with three degrees of freedom (three axes) installed in the vacuum chamber of the scanning electron microscope 1, and includes an arm 41 that has a built-in three-axis fine movement mechanism and is driven in the axial direction or around the three axes. , a tool 42 for processing the workpiece 3), and a six-axis load sensor 43 interposed between the arm 41 and the tool 42. In addition,
The 3-axis fine movement mechanism is not built into the arm 41 and is
5L and 5R are drive devices that drive the fine movement mechanism 21 of the fine movement table 2 and the arm 41 of the fine movement robot 4, respectively.

6L and 6R are operating mechanisms operated by human hands, and are provided with operating levers 63L and 63R, respectively. The operating mechanisms 6L and 6R are composed of mechanisms having multiple degrees of freedom, such as joystick levers. The operating mechanism 6L is used to drive the fine movement table 2, and the operating mechanism 6R is used to drive the fine movement robot 4. Furthermore, each operating mechanism 6L, 6R includes an operating lever 63L.

Built-in drive mechanisms 61L and 61R that drive the 63R, a load sensor 62L that detects loads on 6 axes, and a load sensor 62R that detects loads on 3 axes (forces on 3 orthogonal axes or 2 orthogonal axes and 1 moment). has been done. 7L, 7R
are the drive mechanisms 61L and 61 of the operating mechanisms 6L and 6R, respectively.
This is a drive device that drives R, and works 3 and tool 42.
A force corresponding to the reaction force generated between the two is applied to the operating mechanisms 6L and 6R. 8 is a control device which gives drive commands to the drive devices SL and SR in accordance with the operations of the operating mechanisms 6L and 6R;
According to the detected value of the load sensor 22.43, the drive device 7L,
A drive command is given to 7H to control these drives. 9 is a human being (operator); 9L and 9R are the right and left eyes of the human being 9; the right eye 9L and the left eye 9R are binocular scanning microscopes 1;
By looking at the display tube at leisure, it is possible to three-dimensionally observe the state of the workpiece 3 and its vicinity within the field of view.

In the above configuration, it is preferable to use a device driven by a piezoelectric element as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-209846, for example, for the fine movement mechanism 21 and the arm 41, and for the load sensor 22. .43, it is suitable to use, for example, the apparatus shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-62497.

In other words, the former fine movement mechanism can accurately output the displacement of each axis without interfering with the displacement of other axes, and the latter load sensor can accurately output the displacement of each axis without interfering with the displacement of other axes. This is because it can be detected without any interference.

Here, as an example of configuring the operating mechanism, a schematic configuration of a joystick lever will be explained with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the schematic configuration of the joystick lever that constitutes the operating mechanism 6L shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. The illustration of the drive mechanism of the shaft is omitted.

In FIG. 2, parts that are the same as those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted. 610 is a fixed base, 611 is a protrusion of the fixed base 610, 612 is a screw rotatably mounted between the protrusions 611, and 613 is a motor for rotating the screw 612. Reference numeral 614 denotes a moving table, which has a threaded part 615 threadedly engaged with the screw 612 on the lower side and a projection part 616 on the upper part.

617 is a worm gear rotatably mounted on the protrusion 616, and 618 is a motor that rotates the worm gear 617. 619 is a load sensor 62L and an operating bar 63
A driving body 620 that supports L is a gear that is fixed to the driving body 619 and meshes with the worm gear 617. Note that the configuration of the operating mechanism 6R is also similar to this.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained by exemplifying the work of actually measuring the voltage and current inside the IC mentioned above.

In this case, the workpiece 3 is an IC, and the tool 42 is a metal probe with a sharp tip.

It is assumed that the work 3 and the tool 42 are separated from each other at the start of the work.

First, the human (operator) 9 sees the workpiece 3 and its surroundings within the field of view of both eyes 9L and 9R. Note that, as described above, all states within the visual field are grasped three-dimensionally. Next, the operator 9 operates the operating lever 63L with his left hand and the operating lever 63L with his right hand.
R is operated to drive the fine movement table 2 and fine movement robot 4, and move the workpiece 3 and tool 42 to a convenient position for machining.

This movement is performed as follows. For example, when the workpiece 3 is to be machined in the center of the field of view, and the workpiece 3 is biased to one side, the operator 9, while observing the workpiece 3, moves the control lever 63L in the direction in which the workpiece 3 is to be moved, that is, in the field of view. Operate in the direction corresponding to the center. Then, the load sensor 62L of the operating mechanism 6L outputs a signal corresponding to the operating direction and operating amount of the operating lever 63L.

The control device 8 inputs this signal manually, creates a signal for displacing the fine movement mechanism 21 in the same direction as the signal and by a minute amount proportional to this, and outputs this created signal to the drive device 5L. do.

The drive device 5L generates a voltage corresponding to this, outputs this voltage to the piezoelectric element of the fine movement mechanism 21, and as a result, the fine movement mechanism 21 is driven to obtain a desired minute displacement. This displacement is determined by manually inputting the displacement detected by the displacement amount detection means provided in the fine movement mechanism 21 to the control device 8,
Based on this, the control device 8 performs feedback control, which enables highly accurate execution. Looking at the driving state of the fine movement mechanism 21 from the operator 9 side, the operator 9 can see that the workpiece 3, which has been magnified tens of thousands of times or more and whose size appears to belong to the same category as objects handled in daily life, is operated by the operator 9. This can be understood three-dimensionally as a state in which the operating lever is moved in the same direction as the operating direction and by the same distance as the operating amount. This is done by operator 9 on the order of microns.
Operator 9 performs displacement work in the sub-micron order area.
This means that you can perform mobility tasks in the same way as in your daily life. All of the following tasks are performed in this manner.

After the workpiece 3 is displaced to a predetermined position, the operator 9 operates the control lever 63R to displace the arm 41 in the same manner, thereby bringing the tool 42 closer to the workpiece 3. Tool 4
When the tool 2 comes into contact with the work 3, that is, the part of the IC that is desired to be peeled off, a minute reaction force is generated between the work 3 and the tool 42 due to the contact. Of these reaction forces, the reaction force generated on the workpiece 3 is detected by the load sensor 22, and the reaction force generated on the tool 42 is detected by the load sensor 43, and each is input to the control device 8. The control device 8 controls the drive devices 7L and 7 according to the direction and magnitude of these detected reaction forces.
A signal is output to R, and the drive devices 7L and 7R respond to this signal to drive the drive mechanism 61 built into the operation mechanisms 6L and 6R.
Generates voltage for driving L and 61R. As a result, the operating levers 63L, 63R are driven by the drive mechanism 61L until a force corresponding to the contact reaction force is generated between them and the operator's hand.

61R, and as a result, this force is sensed by the operator's 9 hand. Considering this, for example, regarding the operating mechanism 6L shown in FIG. 2, when the load detected by the load sensor 22 is a moment in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 2, the motor 618 is rotated by a signal from the drive device 7L. However, this rotation causes the operating lever 63L to rotate in the direction of the arrow, and this rotation stops when a moment corresponding to the above-mentioned moment is generated between the operating lever 63L and the hand gripping it. Since such movements are performed at high speed every moment, the human hand continues to receive the corresponding moment. In the case of the force indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2, the motor 13 is driven and the force is similarly applied to the hand. Although the reaction force generated between the control device and the operating device is extremely small, the control device 8 uses the reaction force to control the reaction force when the operator 9 holds an object in his left hand in his normal life, holds a probe in his right hand, and brings the two into contact. This signal is converted into a signal that generates a reaction force similar to that felt in the left and right hands when the driver moves, and outputs this signal to each drive device 7L, 7R. Therefore, the operator 9 can perceive the contact between the workpiece 3 (table 2) and the tool 42 visually and tactilely in the same way as in normal life.

After bringing the tool 42 into contact with the peeling portion of the workpiece 3, the operator 9 operates the operating levers 63L and 63R to perform the lamination peeling operation. During this peeling operation, if the tool 42 is operated to perform peeling while the workpiece 3 is fixed, the operator will not move the operating lever 63L and only the operating lever 63R will be operated. The operation of the operating lever 63R results in a corresponding movement of the tool 42. Then, the reaction force generated on the workpiece 3 becomes a force corresponding to the reaction force that tries to move the operating lever 63L, and is transmitted to the left hand, and the force of the left hand is required to keep the workpiece 3 fixed, and the tool The reaction force generated at 42 becomes a corresponding resistance force on the operating lever 63R and is transmitted to the right hand. That is, during this peeling work, the operator 9 performs the work with the same senses (visual and tactile senses) as when performing a peeling work in normal life. This peeling work is, of course,
This is possible by moving the workpiece 3, or by moving both the workpiece 3 and the tool 42.

When the stripping operation is completed and the layer to be checked is exposed, the tool 42 is brought into contact with this layer. Like the previous contact, this contact can be confirmed both visually and tactilely. By connecting a measuring device to the tool 42 (probe) and supplying a predetermined voltage and current to the workpiece 3 (IC),
The voltage and current state of the exposed layer can be checked.

As described above, in this embodiment, a fine movement table and a fine movement robot are installed in the vacuum chamber of a binocular scanning electron microscope, and the fine movement table and fine movement robot are operated by an external operating mechanism to perform work. Therefore, it is possible to carry out work while observing the workpiece or tool three-dimensionally enlarged to the same size as in normal life, and this makes it possible to easily perform fine work on the micron or submicron order. I can do it. Further, since a force transmission system is configured to transmit the reaction force generated in the fine movement table and the fine movement robot to the operating mechanism, work can be performed reliably with appropriate force. Furthermore, we have provided separate operation mechanisms for operating the fine movement table and fine movement robot, and have also provided corresponding force transmission systems for each, so that in normal life, you can easily hold a workpiece in one hand. You can work on micron or submicron orders with the same feeling as when you hold a tool in your other hand, and the ease of work is greatly increased.

In addition, in the description of the above embodiment, IC peeling and its voltage, T! I explained the work of a first-rate check as an example, but
It is obvious that the present invention can be applied to other micron-order or sub-micron-order operations as exemplified above. Further, a load sensor is not necessarily necessary for detecting the reaction force, and the reaction force can be calculated by the control device based on the output of the drive device for the fine movement table and the fine movement robot, and the resulting displacement of both.

Furthermore, the degree of freedom of the fine movement table and the fine movement robot can be arbitrarily selected according to the eight types of work.

Furthermore, in the description of the above embodiments, an example has been described in which the workpiece etc. is enlarged three-dimensionally and the reaction force of the workpiece etc. is transmitted, but these are not necessarily necessary. In that case, the contact between the workpiece and the tool is f! Although it cannot be confirmed, this confirmation can be made by visually observing scratches on the workpiece or production of processing waste, or by measuring voltage and current with a measuring device.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the present invention, a stage and a processing mechanism are provided in a vacuum container of a magnifying observation device, a sample is placed on the stage,
Since the first drive control system and the second drive control system are operated and the sample is processed by the processing mechanism, work on the micron order or submicron order can be easily performed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a micromanipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a schematic configuration of a joystick lever. 1...Binocular scanning electron microscope, 2...
......Fine movement table, 3...Work, 4...Fine movement robot, 42...
...Tool, 5L, 5R, 7L, 7R...
...... Drive device, 6L, 6R... Operation mechanism, 8... Control device. Figure 2

Claims (6)

[Claims] (1) In a manipulator that performs necessary processing on a minute sample, a magnifying observation device consisting of a vacuum container and a mechanism for magnifying the sample placed in the vacuum container; a table having a plurality of degrees of freedom and on which the sample is placed; a processing mechanism provided within the vacuum container and processing the sample;
A micromanipulator comprising: a first drive control system that drives the platform; and a second drive control system that drives the processing mechanism. (2) The micromanipulator according to claim (1), wherein the magnifying observation device is a scanning electron microscope. (3) The micromanipulator according to claim (2), wherein the scanning electron microscope is binocular. (4) In claim (1), the stand:
A micromanipulator comprising a fine movement mechanism with multiple degrees of freedom and a load sensor with multiple axes. (5) In claim (1), the processing mechanism includes a tool that processes the sample, an actuator that drives the tool, and a load sensor that detects the reaction force of the tool. A micromanipulator characterized by (6) In claim (1), the first drive control system and the second drive control system provide force information corresponding to a reaction force generated between the sample and the processing mechanism. A micromanipulator that is also capable of giving and receiving.