pp. 2811-2823
S&M1974 Research Paper of Special Issue https://doi.org/10.18494/SAM.2019.2255 Published: September 20, 2019 Ultrasharp High-aspect-ratio Tetrahedral Molded Tips [PDF] Rolf Vermeer, Erwin Berenschot, Edin Sarajlic, and Niels Tas (Received January 8, 2019; Accepted February 19, 2019) Keywords: microfabrication, anisotropic etching, oxidation sharpening, high-aspect-ratio tip
The fabrication of sharp tips manufactured using silicon or using a silicon mold is a widely used method with a wide range of applications. In this paper, we extend our work on the fabrication of tetrahedral molds in (111) silicon and the fabrication of tips based on those molds. We present multiple strategies to make a range of different structures out of silicon-rich nitride, focusing on an approach that takes advantage of oxidation sharpening to improve both the aspect ratio and the tip radius, as well as to make the fabrication process both more efficient and versatile. In this way, single tips and so-called tripod tips with a radius of less than 3 nm are successfully fabricated and used in an AFM probe to show the functionality of the tips.
Corresponding author: Rolf VermeerThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Cite this article Rolf Vermeer, Erwin Berenschot, Edin Sarajlic, and Niels Tas, Ultrasharp High-aspect-ratio Tetrahedral Molded Tips, Sens. Mater., Vol. 31, No. 9, 2019, p. 2811-2823. |