A 0.25mm3 Atomic Force Microscope on-a-chip

This paper reports the highest resolution achieved with a single-chip Atomic Force Microscope (sc-AFM). Images of a 20nm AFM calibration standard were obtained to show, for the first time, that single-chip instruments may obtain a vertical resolution comparable to state-of-the-art instruments at a minuscule fraction of the size (volume=1/1,000,000) and cost (1/1000). A maskless, 2-step release process is performed on CMOS chips in order to obtain devices that can image a sample without the need for any off-chip scanning or sensing components. We report a four-fold improvement in resolution when compared to previously reported sc-AFMs, enabling metrology for nanoscale manufacturing using MEMS AFM technology.