Abstract: A calibration standard comprises a supporting structure (1) of single crystal material with at least one pair of different kinds of structures consisting of a raised line (2) and a trench (3). These structures have the identical width in the range of about 500 nm. The single crystal material preferably is silicon with (110)-orientation.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a micromechanical sensor for AFM/STM profilometry which consists of a beam with a point for interaction with a test surface to be sampled on one end and a fixing block on the other end. The point consists of a basically conical shank with a countersunk point at the end of the shank. The micromechanical sensor has excellent mechanical rigidity and is particularly suited to the measurement of extremely deep and narrow structures with positive side flank angles.

Abstract: A micromechanically fabricated read/write head for charge storage devices comprising a supporting base, a cantilever and a tip with a shaft and frontside end. The supporting base, cantilever and tip form one integral part made of electrically conducting material. The frontside end of the tip is so designed as to allow writing and reading of information in direct contact with the surface of a charge storage device. The shaft of the tip has a small diameter and is surrounded by a strengthening shell.

Abstract: A calibration standard comprises a supporting structure (1) of single crystal material with at least one pair of different kinds of structures consisting of a raised line (2) and a trench (3). These structures have the identical width in the range of about 500 nm. The single crystal material preferably is silicon with (110)-orientation.

Abstract: A method for measuring the width of a tip in an Atomic Force Microscope/Scanning Tunneling Microscope using a calibration standard is provided. The method incorporates the steps of providing a tip, measuring the width b1 of a first kind of structure, and measuring the width b2 of a second kind of structure. The steps of measuring comprise the steps of profiling the first and second kinds of structures with a tip and calculating the width of the tip as a function of the measured widths b1 and b2. The calibration standard comprises the first and second kinds of structures and may be, for example, a trench and a raised line which have substantially the same width.

Abstract: Adjacent shaped grooves are placed in single crystal structure with great accuracy and known dimensions by a combination of anisotropic and isotropic etching to produce a scanning probe microscope calibration standard with fine V-shaped grooves forming a prismatically shaped ridge or blade between them. A probe microscope to be calibrated is used to profile the tip of the ridge in a number of places along the length of the ridge. With knowledge of the sidewall angles and tip radius of the calibration standard both the flat tip dimensions of a probe with a flared tip and the tip radius of a probe with a conical tip can be calculated from the profile they produce.

Abstract: A calibration standard comprises a supporting structure (1) of single crystal material with at least one pair of different kinds of structures consisting of a raised line (2) and a trench (3). These structures have the identical width in the range of about 500 nm. The single crystal material preferably is silicon with (110)-orientation.

Abstract: An ultrafine tip for AFM and STM profilometry of trenches having sidewalls. The tip includes a lateral circumferential edge protrusion to allow profilometry of the sidewalls of a trench located in a semiconductor or insulator substrate.

Abstract: A method is described for producing ultrafine silicon tips for the AFM/STM profilometry comprising:1. providing a silicon substrate and applying a silicon dioxide layer thereto;2. producing a mask in said silicon dioxide layer by photolithography and wet or dry etching;3. producing a tip shaft by transferring the mask pattern, produced in step 2, by reactive ion etching into the silicon substrate;4. thinning the shaft and forming a base by isotropic wet etching; and5. removing the mask by etching.The resulting tip shaft with a rectangular end may be pointed by argon ion milling.In 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.

Abstract: A micromechanical sensor is described for the AFM/STM profilometry, incorporating a cantilever beam with at least one tip at its end and a mounting block at the opposite end. A method is described incorporating the steps of coating a wafer substrate with an insulating layer, forming a mask in the insulating layer, etching a trench in the wafer substrate, removing the insulating layer, coating the desired cantilever beam and tip material, respectively, etching the cantilever beam and tip material, and removing at least a portion of the supporting wafer material from the bottom side. The invention overcomes the problem of forming a micromechanical sensor having a cantilever beam, a tip with a predetermined shape and a mounting block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for a micromechanical sensor for the AFM/STM profilometry, which consist of a cantilever beam with a tip at its end and a mounting block at the opposite end. The method incorporated the steps of coating a wafer substrate; producing a mask for the desired cantilever beam pattern on the top side of the wafer; and a mask on the bottom side of the wafer; planarizing said cantilever beam pattern with photoresist; producing a mask for the desired tip in the area of the cantilever beam pattern producing the desired tip using an etching step, and simultaneously transferring the cantilever beam pattern from the upper to the lower part of the layer; and removing the supporting wafer material by etching through the bottom side mask. A mask for the desired cantilever beam pattern and the tip pattern contains all relevant information for a subsequent substrate etching process is described for etching step by step into a silicon substrate.