Fabrication and characterisation of cantilever arrays with integrated sharp tips

This thesis describes the design, fabrication and characterisation of silicon micro-cantilever arrays with integrated sharp tips. The arrays are developed for parallel readout experiments that are based on electric force microscopy (EFM). The final application of the arrays is in a probe based data storage system. The high requirements for optical readout and EFM are realised by a SOI based process using sacrificial layer etch technology and a KOH etch combined with a LOCOS process. The powerful process features a single mask to fabricate cantilever arrays with tips that are self-aligned to the free end of the cantilever. A secondmask is used for the backside etch, to release the cantilevers. The sacrificial layer etch method enables the fabrication of arrays that are uniformon wafer scale. An essential aspect for obtaining sharp tips is the inclusion of a sacrificial layer to achieve a sharp mask corner by corner sharpening. Another critical factor is a straight etch profile after pattern transfer of the mask into the device layer. The fabricated devices are characterised by means of scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and white light interferometry.