Multiaxis Nanofabrication Machine

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Thomas Fröhlich
• Subject Area: Measurement Systems
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 523923714

The Research Training Group "Tip- and laser-based 3D nanofabrication in extended macroscopic working areas (NanoFab)" established at TU Ilmenau has achieved excellent results in its first application phase in basic research on the synergetic combination of advanced nanofabrication techniques with the outstanding capabilities of nanopositioning and nanomeasuring machines (NPMM). In particular, the research work on expanding the NPMM by two additional rotational degrees of freedom to a first 5-axis NPMM demonstrator combined with a confocal micro-sensor and the first results of the implementation of a nanoimprint mod-ule show the great potential. The aim of the transfer project is to implement the proof-of-con-cept shown in the Research Training Group in a new prototype of a multi-axis nanofabrication machine with significantly increased metrological properties and to test it together with the ap-plication partner. This is intended to demonstrate the solution to a major metrological problem of high-precision measurement, especially of precision optical surfaces such as aspheres and free-form surfaces. For the current Research Training Group, this also offers the possibility of significantly advancing nanofabrication on such surfaces. At the centre of the novel approach is the combination of a two-axis rotation kinematics with hemisphere mirror and integrated 3-axis microinterferometer with a new tetrahedron nanopositioning and nanomeasuring machine and the possibility of integrating various nanoprobe sensors or nanotools.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: SIOS Meßtechnik GmbH