Method of manufacturing silicided silicon microtips for scanning probe microscopy

摘要

A micromechanical sensor probe for a scanned-probe tool comprising a silicon probe and a coating of a refractory metal silicide formed at least on the tip of the probe. Titanium silicide is preferred. A method for manufacturing such a probe includes the steps of, first, providing a silicon cantilever and tip combination and, second, forming a refractory metal silicide on at least the tip of the cantilever and tip combination. This second step of the method includes removing any remnant oxide from the tip, stabilizing the cantilever and tip combination on a carrier, depositing a refractory metal on the silicon tip, heating the cantilever and tip combination in an ambient free of oxygen to react chemically the refractory metal on and the silicon of the tip, selectively etching any unreacted refractory metal from the tip, and annealing the cantilever and tip combination in an ambient free of oxygen. The method may also include, as a final step, removing any unreacted refractory metal from the tip.