New parallelogram 3D-displacement sensor for micro probing and dimensional metrology

For the use in dimensional metrology a novel micro probing system composed of three silicon parallelogram linkages was developed. The parallelogram structure is assured by elastic silicon hinge and allows displacement in only one direction. For each parallelogram the displacement is evaluate using piezo-resistors integrated in the silicon hinges. Wide deflection ranges, isotropic behavior and low mechanical stiffness as predicted by simulations could be verified in experiments. With this combination of characteristics the micro probing system is an ideal sensor for the use in all conventional CMMs but also for many other 3D force/displacement measurement tasks.