Direct-Write Fabrication of Electric and Thermal High-Resolution Nanoprobes on Self-Sensing AFM Cantilever

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has evolved into an essential part in research and development due to its quantitative 3D surface characterization capability with spatial resolution in the sub-1 nm regime. Beside this precise height information, additional AFM modes provide laterally resolved electric, magnetic, chemical, mechanical, optical, or thermal properties of the sample surface. Depending on the application different types of probes and therefore fabrication tools get necessary. Furthermore, to satisfy the general tendency of in-situ experiments the integration of the AFM into SEMs or Dual Beam Microscopes get necessary. For that purpose, the GETec company has introduced an AFM system (AFSEM®) providing two main advantages: 1) the application of a high-resolution tube scanner enables AFM access from top which means that standard SEM / FIB / DBM sample stages can be used; and 2) the application of self-sensing cantilever entirely eliminates an space consuming optical detection system as it uses stress-strain elements for the electric readout according to the cantilever motion. To exploit the full potential of the AFSEM® concept, the above mentioned additional modes are currently under investigation as each of these modes requires special tips shapes, materials or functionalities.