Paper NS-TuP16
A Probe Characterizer for Atomic Force Microscope Fabricated from Si/SiO₂ Multilayers

Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 6:00 pm, Room Hall 3

A method to fabricate accurate nanostructures was developed using supperlattices and selective etching technique [1]. A probe shape characterizer for atomic force microscope (AFM) was developed for reliable measurement of AFM image and ISO standardization [2]. Comb-shape lines and spaces (10 nm to 50 nm) were fabricated using Si/SiO₂ superlattice. Line width and space distances were determined from the crossectional image of transmission electron microscope. Edge radii of these structures were less than 1.5 nm, and line width and line distance were fabricated in the accuracy less than 1.5 nm. The comb-shape lines and spaces were used to determine the aspect ratios of the AFM probe shape [1]. Aspect ratios of cone-like probe from tip apex to the bottom can be determined from apparent depth in the AFM image obtained from 8 kinds of different space widths. In case of the CNT probe, diameter of cylinder-like probe can be estimated from trajectory of the AFM probe on space structure. Advantage of characterizing probe shape using comb-shape pattern is that uncertainty can be defined from the shape of the reference material. Thus, reconstructed AFM image is reliable and applicable to characterize the precise morphology of nano-materials [3] and nano-structures.

References

[1] Hiroshi. Itoh, Toshiyuki. Fujimoto, and Shingo. Ichimura, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 77, 103704, (2006).

[2] Daisuke Fujita, Hiroshi Itoh, Shingo Ichimura and Tomizo Kurosawa, Nanotechnology 18, 084002 (2007).

[3] Hiroshi Itoh, Chunmei Wang, Yoshikazu Homma, Jielin Sun, Jun Hu, Shingo Ichimura, JJAP 47, 6128 (2008).