Characterizing the material mechanical properties inside small holes

To analyze the performance of high-aspect-ratio microstructures (HARMS), it is not only necessary to measure the inner form and surface topography, but also to characterize the inner material mechanical properties quantitatively and nondestructively. The Profilscanner with the slender piezoresistive microprobe enables performing traceable roughness measurements inside small holes with diameters down to 50 μm. Contact resonance technology makes it possible to quantitatively map the material mechanical properties on a nanoscale. In this paper, we apply the contact resonance technology to the Profilscanner and the slender piezoresistive cantilever microprobe to investigate the feasibility of quantitatively determining the material mechanical properties inside HARMS.