Patent ID: 8456650

Claim:
A wafer-scale nanometrology system for sensing position of a nanofabrication element when illuminated by a patterned optical projection defining a grid or position measuring gauge, comprising: (a) a frequency stabilized laser emitter configured to generate a laser emission at a selected frequency, wherein said laser emission forms a diverging beam configured to illuminate a selected area occupied by a target fabrication object having a proximal surface; (b) an optical pattern generator configured to be illuminated by said laser emission and generate a patterned optical projection grid for projection upon the target fabrication object's proximal surface; (c) a movable nanofabrication element carrying an optical sensor array on a selected surface, said sensor array being configured to detect at least a portion of said patterned optical projection grid, and, in response to said detection, is configured to generate projection grid position data; and (d) a computing device configured to receive said projection grid position data and programmed to correlate said patterned optical projection grid and said projection grid position data to determine a location for said nanofabrication element relative to said fabrication object's proximal surface.