Femtotools Ag

David Beyeler

Felix Beyeler

Simon Muntwyler

Daniel Frost

Christoph Bolliger

A MEMS microforce sensor for high temperature nanoindentation is used for determining a mechanical property of a sample by sensing a deflection and measuring a force. The MEMS microforce sensor includes at least a cold movable body, a heatable movable body, a heating resistor and capacitor electrodes. The cold movable body and the heatable movable body are mechanically connected by at least one bridge and the capacitor electrodes measure a force applied on the sample by sensing the deflection of the cold movable body relative to the outer frame by a change of electrical capacitance.

MEMS-based nanoindentation force sensor with electro-thermal tip heating

A MEMS-nanoindenter chip performs nanoindentation on a specimen. The MEMS-nanoindenter chip has an intender probe joined with an indenter tip. The indenter tip indents into the specimen. A reference probe is joined with a reference tip, the reference tip touches the specimen. Sensing capabilities are provided to measure the position of the indenter probe relative to the reference probe. The MEMS-nanoindenter chip enables highly accurate measurements since the frame stiffness is not part of the measurement chain any more. Furthermore, thermal drift during the nanoindentation is considerably reduced.

MEMS nanoindenter chip with indenter probe and reference probe

A system for testing MEMS-structures includes a microforce sensor, two or more multi-axis micropositioning units, at least one electrical probe and a sample holder on which a MEMS-structure is mounted. At least one of the multi-axis micropositioning units is motorized and at least one additional micropositioning unit is equipped with at least one electrical probe to apply electrical signals or to measure electrical signals at one or multiple locations on the MEMS structure. The system with the aforementioned components allows a combined electrical and probe-based mechanical testing of MEMS-structures.

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Daellikon, Switzerland

David Beyeler