Formation of probe microscope tips in silicon by focused ion beams

Abstract
A combination of lithographic patterning, liquid phase anisotropic etching, and focused ion beam milling has been used to prototype the production of scanning probe microscope tips in single-crystal silicon. The results show that tips with geometry equivalent to those made with iridium or tungsten wires can be made without the deleterious random effects of grain structure. The tips subtend a maximum cone angle of 20° and protrude 3.5 μm above the surface of a Si pyramid bounded by (111) planes.

This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit: