Note: long range and accurate measurement of deep trench microstructures by a specialized scanning tunneling microscope

Bing-Feng Ju; Yuan-Liu Chen; Wei Zhang; Wule Zhu; Chao Jin; F Z Fang

doi:10.1063/1.4721273

Note: long range and accurate measurement of deep trench microstructures by a specialized scanning tunneling microscope

Rev Sci Instrum. 2012 May;83(5):056106. doi: 10.1063/1.4721273.

Authors

Bing-Feng Ju¹, Yuan-Liu Chen, Wei Zhang, Wule Zhu, Chao Jin, F Z Fang

Affiliation

¹ The State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power Transmission and Control, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China. mbfju@zju.edu.cn

PMID: 22667670
DOI: 10.1063/1.4721273

Abstract

A compact but practical scanning tunneling microscope (STM) with high aspect ratio and high depth capability has been specially developed. Long range scanning mechanism with tilt-adjustment stage is adopted for the purpose of adjusting the probe-sample relative angle to compensate the non-parallel effects. A periodical trench microstructure with a pitch of 10 μm has been successfully imaged with a long scanning range up to 2.0 mm. More innovatively, a deep trench with depth and step height of 23.0 μm has also been successfully measured, and slope angle of the sidewall can approximately achieve 67°. The probe can continuously climb the high step and exploring the trench bottom without tip crashing. The new STM could perform long range measurement for the deep trench and high step surfaces without image distortion. It enables accurate measurement and quality control of periodical trench microstructures.