METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TWO-DIMENSIONAL PROFILE DESCRIPTION WITH CONTACT FORCE AND ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE

摘要

PURPOSE: To draw two-dimensional contour of lines and grooves of steep gradient of an integrated circuit by detecting and controlling two-dimensional tip motion in a contact-force/atomic-force microscope through optimization of the size of a tip and a cantilever and feedback of tip motion. CONSTITUTION: A tip 10 together with a cantilever 12 are connected to a high speed X-Z piezoelectric tube scanner 30 for controlling the tip 10 in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction quickly and correctly. A laser generator 28 irradiates a laser beam on the back side of the cantilever 12 through a collimation lens 32, and the beam is reflected thereon and reached to a two-dimensional sensor. A light detector 34 correctly detects movement and azimuth of the cantilever 12 and the tip 10, and signals IX, IZ displaying force against the tip 10 in the scanning direction and the vertical direction are output. The amplitude and the positive/negative sign of the signals are received and recorded by a computer 36. The position of the tip 10 on the upper face of a sample answers the scanning signal to XY-piezoelectric device 38, and the movement of the tip in the vertical depth direction answers the scanning signal to Z- piezoelectric device 40.