Microfabricated diamond tip for nanoprobing

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering Vol. 86; no. 4; pp. 1222 - 1225
• Main Authors: Arstila, Kai, Hantschel, Thomas, Demeulemeester, Cindy, Moussa, Alain, Vandervorst, Wilfried
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.04.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: AFM; Applied sciences; Boron-doped diamond tips; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Instruments, apparatus, components and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Nanoprobe; Physics; Scanning probe microscopes, components and techniques; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; SSRM; AFM; Boron-doped diamond tips; SSRM; Nanoprobe; Atomic force microscopy; Scanning electron microscopy; Triangular shape; Doped materials; Mechanical properties; Nanostructure; Cantilever beam; Spreading resistance; Nanometer scale; Electrical measurement; Microelectronic fabrication; Contact stress; Wear; Lateral resolution
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mee.2008.11.061

In nanoprobing experiments the tip should allow the manipulation and the probing of electrical, mechanical and other properties of nano-scale structures. In this work we present a novel approach for producing tips for nanoprobing using microfabrication technology. Conductive diamond was selected as a tip material to allow electrical measurements with high contact forces and to avoid tip wear during the probing. In-plane triangular shapes of the tip and the cantilever allow to position several nanoprobes in close proximity and to simultaneously observe the contact point in scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) topography measurements and scanning spreading resistance measurements (SSRM) demonstrated nanometer-scale lateral resolution of the tips.