Atomic force microscope probe tips using heavily boron-doped silicon cantilevers realized in a (110) bulk silicon wafer

Citation
Ij. Cho et al., Atomic force microscope probe tips using heavily boron-doped silicon cantilevers realized in a (110) bulk silicon wafer, JPN J A P 1, 39(12B), 2000, pp. 7103-7107
Citations number
7
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Volume
39
Issue
12B
Year of publication
2000
Pages
7103 - 7107
Database
ISI
SICI code
0021-4922(200012)39:12B<7103:AFMPTU>2.0.ZU;2-C
Abstract
A new method of fabricating atomic force microscope (AFM) probe tip is pres ented. In this process, the probe tips were implemented using self-aligned heavily boron-doped silicon cantilevers in a [110] bulk silicon wafer. In t his structure, a stress-fi ee cantilever can be easily defined by selective etch stop by the heavily boron-doped region in an anisotropic silicon etch ant. The proposed tips do not require expensive silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers and double-side alignment. The probe tip dimensions can be exactly d efined regardless of wafer thickness by the self-aligned etch from the fron t side. In addition: the cantilever thickness can be easily controlled by a djusting the diffusion time, and fabricated at low cost by using bulk silic on wafers. The fabricated probe tips showed resonant frequencies of 71.420 kHz with a 1.8-mum-thick probe tip and 122.660 kHz with a 3.0-mum-thick pro be tip. Using the two fabricated probe tips, we successfully demonstrate im age scanning of a 1 mum grating reference sample in contact and noncontact modes, respectively.