TY - JOUR
T1 - Sharp high-aspect-ratio AFM tips fabricated by a combination of deep reactive ion etching and focused ion beam techniques
AU - Caballero, David
AU - Villanueva, Guillermo
AU - Plaza, Jose Antonio
AU - Mills, Christopher A.
AU - Samitier, Josep
AU - Errachid, Abdelhamid
PY - 2010/1/1
Y1 - 2010/1/1
N2 - The shape and dimensions of an atomic force microscope tip are crucial factors to obtain high resolution images at the nanoscale. When measuring samples with narrow trenches, inclined side- walls near 90° or nanoscaled structures, standard silicon atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips do not provide satisfactory results. We have combined deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and focused ion beam (FIB) lithography techniques in order to produce probes with sharp rocket-shaped silicon AFM tips for high resolution imaging. The cantilevers were shaped and the bulk micromachining was performed using the same DRIE equipment. To improve the tip aspect ratio we used FIB nanolithography technique. The tips were tested on narrow silicon trenches and over biological samples showing a better resolution when compared with standard AFM tips, which enables nanocharacterization and nanometrology of high-aspect-ratio structures and nanoscaled biological elements to be completed, and provides an alternative to commercial high aspect ratio AFM tips. Copyright © 2010 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved.
AB - The shape and dimensions of an atomic force microscope tip are crucial factors to obtain high resolution images at the nanoscale. When measuring samples with narrow trenches, inclined side- walls near 90° or nanoscaled structures, standard silicon atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips do not provide satisfactory results. We have combined deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and focused ion beam (FIB) lithography techniques in order to produce probes with sharp rocket-shaped silicon AFM tips for high resolution imaging. The cantilevers were shaped and the bulk micromachining was performed using the same DRIE equipment. To improve the tip aspect ratio we used FIB nanolithography technique. The tips were tested on narrow silicon trenches and over biological samples showing a better resolution when compared with standard AFM tips, which enables nanocharacterization and nanometrology of high-aspect-ratio structures and nanoscaled biological elements to be completed, and provides an alternative to commercial high aspect ratio AFM tips. Copyright © 2010 American Scientific Publishers. All rights reserved.
KW - Atomic force microscopy
KW - Deep reactive ion etching
KW - Focused ion beam lithography
KW - High-aspect-ratio
U2 - 10.1166/jnn.2010.1737
DO - 10.1166/jnn.2010.1737
M3 - Article
VL - 10
SP - 497
EP - 501
JO - Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
JF - Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
SN - 1533-4880
IS - 1
ER -