Method of producing ultrafine silicon tips for the AFM/STM profilometry

摘要

A method is described for producing ultrafine silicon tips for the AFM/STM profilometry comprising:PP1. providing a silicon substrate and applying a silicon dioxide layer thereto;P P 2. producing a mask in said silicon dioxide layer by photolithography and wet or dry etching;PP3. producing a tip shaft by transferring the mask pattern, produced in step 2, by reactive ion etching into the silicon substrate;PP4. thinning the shaft and forming a base by isotropic wet etching; and PP5. removing the mask by etching.PPThe resulting tip shaft with a rectangular end may be pointed by argon ion milling.P PIn a second embodiment there is an anisotropic wet etching step, prior to step 5, through the intact silicon dioxide mask, producing a negative profile of the shaft immediately below the mask. After this etching step the mask is removed by etching.