Abstract: A fabrication method for the fabrication of special nano-scale structures, such as AFM probe tip(s) at the edge of a silicon and/or silicon nitride platform, called the cantilever. An array of these special AFM probes with the AFM tip structure located at the edge is fabricated from an array of regular AFM probes where the AFM tip structure may not originally have been located at the edge of the cantilever. A hard mask is formed on the probe's tip from a hard material, such as a metal mask, where more than one side of the tip could be uncovered. The non-covered side(s) of the probe tip structure(s) are subsequently etched to remove substrate materials, so that a sharp shaft (tip) is formed on the edge of the cantilever, when the process is done in a batch manner it results in an array of such AFM probe tips.

Abstract: A fabrication method for the fabrication of special nano-scale structures, such as AFM probe tip(s) at the edge of a silicon and/or silicon nitride platform, called the cantilever. An array of these special AFM probes with the AFM tip structure located at the edge is fabricated from an array of regular AFM probes where the AFM tip structure may not originally have been located at the edge of the cantilever. A hard mask is formed on the probe's tip from a hard material, such as a metal mask, where more than one side of the tip could be uncovered. The non-covered side(s) of the probe tip structure(s) are subsequently etched to remove substrate materials, so that a sharp shaft (tip) is formed on the edge of the cantilever, when the process is done in a batch manner it results in an array of such AFM probe tips.