Method of producing micromechanical sensors for the AFM/STM profilometry and micromechanical AFM/STM sensor head

US5051379A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Thomas Bayer · Igersheim, DE
• Johann Greschner · Neckartenzlingen, DE
• Georg Kraus · Konz, DE
• Helga Weiss · Eppelheim, DE
• Olaf Wolter · Aidlingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 16, 1990
• Grant date: Sep 24, 1991
• Expiry date: Aug 16, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01Q60/38
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

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.