JPH1090289A - Cantilver and its manufacture, and manufacture of member having sharpened part - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To insert a probe part into a fine clearance having a high aspect ratio by providing a thin plate-like lever part and the thin plate-like probe part provided on the tip side part thereof, and differing the surface direction of the level part from the surface direction of the probe part. SOLUTION: This cantilever is formed of a thin plate-like lever part 21, a thin plate-like probe part 22 provided on the tip side part thereof, and a support body 23 for supporting the lever part 21. The lever part 21 and the probe part 22 form a prescribed angle. The probe part 22 has a triangular surface form. The position of the surface-side angle A of the probe part 22 and the reverse-side angle B position of the probe part 22 are shifted in the surface direction of the probe part 22, and a ridge line 22a connecting the angle A to the angle B is curved inside, and the tip of the probe part 22 is extremely sharpened. In order to increase the aspect ratio of the probe part 22, the probe part 22 is formed of a thin film.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cantilever used for a scanning probe microscope and the like, a method for manufacturing the same, and a method for manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion such as the cantilever.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a scanning probe microscope employs a cantilever having a plate-shaped lever portion and a pyramid-shaped or conical-shaped probe protruding from a distal end region of the lever portion. Three-dimensional shapes and the like have been measured. However, the aspect ratios of these probes are not so high, about 1 for the pyramid-shaped probe and about 2 for the conical-shaped probe, and the width of the base of the probe is considerably large. for that reason,
For example, when observing a steep slope shape or a deep groove, the side of the probe comes into contact with the entrance of the slope or the groove, or the tip of the probe does not reach the bottom or the slope of the groove. It was not possible to measure an accurate shape and the like.

In view of the above, a method for manufacturing a boot-type probe having a relatively high aspect ratio has been proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei.
No. 2) and a technique for measuring the side surface shape of a sample using the probe is reported (Yves Martin and H. K.).
rmar Wickramasinghe, Appl. Phys. Lett. 64 (19), 9 M
ay 1994, "Method for imaging sidewalls by atomic f
orce microscopy "). FIG. 14B shows an example of observing the line and space of a semiconductor using the cantilever having the boot-shaped probe 1 as a cantilever of an atomic force microscope. ), 2
a and 2b are adjacent wiring patterns, and 2c is a gap between the wiring patterns 2a and 2b. In this example, the wiring patterns 2a and 2b extend in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 14B.

[0004]

However, the boot-type probe 1 described above has a rotationally symmetric shape like a boot, as shown in FIG. Not as sharp as. Therefore, when a cantilever having the boot-type probe 1 is used, FIG.
As shown in (b), imaging of fine irregularities is impossible, and in the first place, fine irregularities on a steep wall can be imaged, but irregularities on a horizontal plane cannot be imaged.
In addition, the width of the boot-type probe 1 is relatively wide, about 400 nm, and there is a problem that it cannot be inserted into the narrower gap 2c. On the other hand, the miniaturization of industrial products has progressed, and in particular, the integration of patterns has progressed in the semiconductor industry, and the line width of VLSI and the like has become about 200 nm. In the field of semiconductors in particular, it is particularly important to observe the shape of a continuous portion called a foot from the side surface to the bottom surface (in FIG. 14B, this foot portion is indicated by reference numeral 2d). This is because if this foot part 2d is
This is because there is a possibility that the adjacent thin line is short-circuited.
Observation of the foot 2d was impossible using the boot-type probe 1 which cannot image a horizontal plane.

[0005] The situation described above is not limited to the cantilever for the atomic force microscope.
The same applies to cantilevers for various other scanning probe microscopes such as a scanning capacitance microscope, a scanning electrostatic force microscope, and a scanning magnetic force microscope.

In a cantilever for a scanning probe microscope, it is preferable that the tip of the probe be further sharpened in order to improve the resolution. Further, it is desired in various fields to obtain a member having a sharpened portion, not limited to the cantilever. For example, in recent years, it has been proposed to form a discharge electrode on a semiconductor substrate.
It is preferable that the discharge electrode be further sharpened so as to emit electrons at a low voltage.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has a high aspect ratio, a probe portion can be inserted into a fine gap, and a cantilever having a sharp probe tip and a method of manufacturing the same. The purpose is to provide.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion such as a cantilever, which can be sharpened as compared with the related art.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, a cantilever according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a thin plate-like lever portion and a thin plate-like probe provided at a tip end portion of the lever portion. A direction of a surface of the lever portion and a direction of a surface of the probe portion are different from each other. In addition,
The probe portion may be flat or may be curved as required.

According to the first aspect, since the probe portion is formed in a thin plate shape, the ratio between the thickness of the probe portion and the length of the probe portion, that is, the aspect ratio of the probe portion is increased. At the same time, the thickness of the probe can be reduced. Therefore, the probe can be inserted into a narrow gap. For example, when this cantilever is used as a cantilever of an atomic force microscope, imaging of a foot portion of a semiconductor becomes possible.

A cantilever according to a second aspect of the present invention is the cantilever according to the first aspect, wherein a base portion of the probe portion is connected to a side portion of a distal end portion of the lever portion. The side of the distal end portion of the lever portion to which the base of the probe portion is connected may be a side portion located on the side of the distal end portion of the lever portion, or may be the side portion of the distal end portion of the lever portion. It may be a side located at the tip.

A cantilever according to a third aspect of the present invention is the cantilever according to the first or second aspect, wherein a surface shape of the probe portion has a corner, and the surface of the probe portion has a corner. The position of the corner and the position of the corner on the back side of the probe are shifted in the direction of the surface of the probe. As described above, when the position of the corner on the front surface side of the probe portion and the position of the corner on the back surface side of the probe portion are shifted in the direction of the surface of the probe portion, the corner on the front surface side or the back surface side is sharpened more. This is preferable in improving the resolution.

[0013] In a cantilever according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a ridge connecting the corner on the front surface side of the probe portion and the corner on the back surface side of the probe portion is curved inward. As described above, when the ridge connecting the corner on the front side of the probe section and the corner on the back side of the probe section is curved inward, the corner on the front side or the back side can be further sharpened. This is preferable for improving the resolution.

The cantilever according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the cantilever according to the fourth aspect, wherein the two sides of one of the front surface and the back surface of the probe portion are provided. The sides on both sides in the vicinity are curved inward. As described above, when the sides on both sides of the front surface or the back surface of the probe portion and both sides near the corner of the surface are curved inward, the corners on the front surface or the back surface are further sharpened. This is preferable in improving the resolution.

A method of manufacturing a cantilever according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a cantilever having a thin plate-like lever portion and a thin plate-like probe portion provided at a tip end portion of the lever portion. A step of forming a first film on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; a step of forming an opening exposing a surface of the semiconductor substrate at a predetermined position of the first film; and a step of forming the semiconductor substrate exposed from the opening Forming a groove or trench in the semiconductor substrate, the groove or trench being continuous with the opening of the first film and having a slope inclined with respect to the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Forming a second film on the inclined surface of the groove or the trench and the periphery thereof without removing the first film or after removing the first film;
And a step of patterning the second film according to the shapes of the lever part and the probe part, and a step of removing the semiconductor substrate around the inclined surface of the groove or trench.

In the sixth aspect, the first and second films may be formed of a single film, or at least one of the first and second films may be a single film. ,
It may be composed of a plurality of films.

The method for manufacturing a cantilever according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the method for manufacturing a cantilever according to the sixth aspect, wherein the step of patterning includes the first step.
And a step of patterning the first and second films so that a portion formed on the inclined surface of the second film becomes the probe portion.

The method for manufacturing a cantilever according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the method for manufacturing a cantilever according to the sixth aspect, wherein the step of patterning includes the first step.
And a step of patterning the first and second films so that a portion of the second film formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate becomes the probe portion.

A method of manufacturing a cantilever according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the method according to any one of the sixth to eighth aspects, wherein the semiconductor substrate is a silicon single crystal substrate.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the manufacturing method according to any one of the sixth to ninth aspects, the semiconductor substrate has a (100) crystal orientation inclined with respect to the substrate. is there.

In the cantilever according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the manufacturing method according to any one of the sixth to tenth aspects, the step of patterning comprises: after forming a resist film on the second film; And a step of isotropically etching the first and second films so that under-etching occurs.

In the cantilever according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the manufacturing method according to any one of the sixth to tenth aspects, the patterning step includes a step of forming a resist film on the second film. An etching step of isotropically etching the first and second films after the formation of the resist film, wherein the resist film has a dummy region and a probe portion region corresponding to the probe portion. The gap between the probe portion region and the dummy region is narrow and continuous, and the etching step is a portion of the first and second films corresponding to the probe portion region in the first and second films. Is a step of isotropically etching the first and second films so that the first and second films are separated from portions corresponding to the dummy regions in the first and second films.

The manufacturing methods according to the sixth to twelfth aspects are examples of the method of manufacturing the cantilevers according to the first to fifth aspects, respectively. The semiconductor substrate to be used is not particularly limited. However, as in the ninth embodiment, a silicon single crystal substrate that is most often used may be used as the semiconductor substrate. As a semiconductor substrate,
A substrate whose (100) crystal orientation is not inclined with respect to the substrate (that is, a substrate having a (100) plane orientation) may be used. However, as in the tenth embodiment, the (100) crystal orientation is When using a substrate that is inclined at an angle, the degree of inclination of the inclined surface of the groove or trench with respect to the substrate can be appropriately set according to the inclination, whereby the angle of the probe portion with respect to the lever portion can be appropriately set. it can. Therefore, for example, when the probe is used as a cantilever for an atomic force microscope, it is preferable that the angle of the probe with respect to the lever be closer to 90 degrees in transmitting the force acting on the probe as displacement of the lever. However, it is possible to make the angle of the probe portion with respect to the lever portion close to 90 degrees. Further, as in the eleventh and twelfth aspects, after forming a resist film on the second film, the first and second films are isotropically etched so as to cause under-etching. As in the fourth and fifth aspects, a ridge connecting the corner on the front surface side of the probe portion and the corner on the back surface side of the probe portion can be curved inward. Further, as in the twelfth aspect, when forming a resist film on the second film, the resist film has a dummy region and a probe portion region so that the probe portion region and the dummy The region and the region are kept narrow and continuous, and a portion corresponding to the probe portion region in the first and second films due to under-etching is formed in the first and second films. When the first and second films are isotropically etched so as to be separated from a portion corresponding to the dummy region, one of the front surface and the back surface of the probe portion is formed as in the fifth aspect. , And both sides near the corner of the surface can also be curved inward.

In the present invention, as in the seventh aspect, the first
A portion formed on the inclined surface of the second film and the second film may be used as a probe portion. In this case, the first and second films may be used.
When the photolithographic etching method is employed for patterning the film, the exposure and development of the resist film formed on the first and second films is usually performed with a shallow depth of focus of the projection exposure apparatus and the focus of the semiconductor substrate is normally adjusted. Because the photomask image corresponding to the tip of the probe is slightly blurred in the first and second films on the inclined surfaces, the shape of the tip of the probe is precisely transferred to the resist film because it is formed at a position parallel to the surface. It may not be possible to do so, which may impair sharpening of the tip of the probe. On the other hand, as in the eighth aspect, if a portion formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the first and second films is used as a probe portion, a portion formed on the first and second films is formed. The shape of the tip of the probe can always be precisely transferred to the resist film to be formed, and there is no possibility that the tip of the probe is sharpened. Further, as in the eighth aspect, if the portion of the first and second films formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate is used as a probe portion, the length and shape of the probe can be made more freely. be able to.

The cantilever according to the present invention is not limited to a cantilever for an atomic force microscope. The present invention relates to a scanning tunneling microscope, a scanning capacitance microscope, a scanning electrostatic force microscope, and a scanning magnetic field. It can be applied to cantilevers used in various other scanning probe microscopes such as a force microscope.

According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion, comprising: forming at least one film on a predetermined surface of a first member; Forming a resist film, an etching step of isotropically etching the at least one film after the formation of the resist film, and a removing step of removing at least a part of the first member, wherein the resist film Has a dummy region and a sharpened portion region corresponding to the sharpened portion, and the gap between the sharpened portion region and the dummy region is narrow and continuous, and the etching step causes under-etching. The portion corresponding to the sharpened portion region in the at least one film is separated from the portion corresponding to the dummy region in the at least one film. At least one film is isotropically etched, and the removing step is a step of removing the first member around a portion corresponding to the sharpened portion region in the at least one film. Things. The first member may be, for example, a semiconductor substrate.

According to the thirteenth aspect, a portion of the at least one film corresponding to the sharpened portion region of the resist film is separated from a portion of the at least one film corresponding to the dummy region of the resist film. The tip
The tip of the sharpened portion. In the thirteenth aspect, since the at least one film is isotropically etched so that underetching occurs after forming a resist film on the at least one film, a sharpened portion of the at least one film is formed. And the corner on the back side in the sharpened portion of the at least one film is shifted in the surface direction of the at least one film, and the ridge line connecting the corner on the front side and the corner on the back side is inward. It will bend. further,
In the thirteenth aspect, when forming a resist film on the at least one film, the resist film has a dummy region and a sharpened portion region so that the sharpened portion region and the dummy region The gap is made narrow and continuous so that underetching occurs and a portion corresponding to the sharpened portion region in the first and second films is formed in the dummy region in the first and second films. Since the first and second films are isotropically etched so as to be separated from the corresponding portions, the first and second films may be isotropically etched on both sides of one of the front surface and the back surface of the sharpened portion in the at least one film. Therefore, both sides near the corner of the surface also curve inward. Therefore, according to the thirteenth aspect, the sharpened portion can be further sharpened as compared with the related art.

An example in which the thirteenth aspect is applied to a method for manufacturing a cantilever is the twelfth aspect.
The thirteenth aspect is not limited to the method of manufacturing the cantilever according to the first to fifth aspects,
The present invention can be applied to a method of manufacturing various other cantilevers and a method of manufacturing various members having a sharpened portion other than the cantilever.

[0029]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a cantilever according to the present invention, a method of manufacturing the same, and a method of manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The cantilever according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The cantilever according to the present embodiment is configured as a cantilever for an atomic force microscope.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the cantilever according to the present embodiment.

The cantilever according to the present embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a thin plate-like lever portion 21 and the lever portion 2
1 is composed of a thin plate-like probe portion 22 provided at the tip side portion and a support 23 supporting the lever portion 21. The direction of the surface of the lever 21 and the direction of the surface of the probe 22 are different from each other. That is, the lever 2
1 and the probe part 22 form a predetermined angle. In the present embodiment, the lever portion 21 and the probe portion 22 are formed in a flat plate shape, but may be curved as necessary.

In the present embodiment, the base of the probe 22 is
The lever portion 21 is connected to a side portion located on a side of the tip side portion. However, the base of the probe portion 22 is, for example,
Side 21a located at the tip of the tip side portion of lever 21
May be connected.

In the present embodiment, the lever 21
Is composed of a double film of silicon nitride films 24 and 25 (since the films 24 and 25 are composed of the same material, they are actually the same as a single film). The probe portion 22 is composed of the silicon nitride film 25, and the silicon nitride film 25 of the lever portion 21 continues to the probe portion 25 as it is.
The probe 22 is connected to the lever 21. Needless to say, the probe portion 22 only needs to be connected to the lever portion 21, and the probe portion 22 and the lever portion 21 do not necessarily need to be formed of the same material continuously. Good. The material of the probe part 22 and the lever part 21 is not limited to the silicon nitride film.
The probe portion 22 and the lever portion 21 may be formed of not only a single film but also a double film or the like.

The support 23 includes a Pyrex glass (trade name) member 26 and the Pyrex glass member 26.
And the above-mentioned silicon nitride films 24 and 25 at the portions where are joined. However, the configuration of the support 23 is not limited to this, and may be configured using, for example, a semiconductor substrate.

In this embodiment, the probe 22 has a triangular surface, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2A. Needless to say, the surface shape of the probe portion 22 only needs to have a corner, and for example, may have a shape as shown in FIGS. 2A is a schematic plan view showing the surface shape of the probe portion 22 of the cantilever shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 2B to 2H each show another surface shape of the probe portion 22. It is a schematic plan view showing an example. In addition, FIG.
In (h), the upper side is a base portion connected to the lever portion 21, and the lower corner is the front end facing the sample surface. The probe 22 has a right-angled triangular shape in FIG. 2A, a shape in which the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle is curved inward in FIG. 2B, and both side edges of the triangular tip in FIG. 2C. FIG. 2D shows a shape in which only the left side of the triangle is curved inward, FIG. 2E shows a shape in which the trapezoidal oblique side is curved inward, and FIG. 2 shows a trapezoidal shape, FIG. 2 (g) shows a five-sided shape having two tip corners, and FIG.
(H) has a rectangular shape. Note that the angle of the surface shape of the probe portion 22 facing the sample surface is usually the angle shown in FIG.
The number is one as shown in (a) to (f) and (h), but may be two or more as shown in FIG.

Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the position of the corner A on the front surface side of the probe portion 22 and the position of the corner B on the back surface side of the probe portion 22 are different from each other. , The ridge line 22a connecting the angle A and the angle B is curved inward, and the tip of the probe portion 22 is extremely sharpened. In the present embodiment, the tip of the probe section 22 is sharpened in this way, which is preferable in improving the resolution. However, in the present invention, such sharpening is not necessarily required.

Next, an example of a method of manufacturing the cantilever shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a process subsequent to the process shown in FIG. 3A and 3B are a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing the same step, respectively, and FIGS. 3C and 3D are a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing the same step, respectively, and FIG.
FIG. 3F is a schematic cross-sectional view and a schematic plan view showing the same process, FIG. 3G is an enlarged view of a main part in FIG.
4A and 4B are a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing the same step, respectively, and FIGS. 4C and 4D are a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing a completed state. In FIGS. 3 and 4, elements corresponding to the elements in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

First, a semiconductor substrate having a thickness of 250 μm is used.
Using a silicon single crystal substrate 31 of m, (100) plane orientation, the substrate 31 is formed by LP-CVD (low pressure CVD) or the like.
The silicon nitride films 24 and 32 having a thickness of 0.25 μm are formed on both surfaces of the substrate. Next, the silicon nitride film 24 is patterned using a lithography method and a dry etching method, thereby forming a strip-shaped opening 24 a exposing the surface of the substrate 31 at a predetermined position of the silicon nitride film 24. The pattern shape, size, and number of the openings 24a can be set arbitrarily. Next, this substrate was washed with potassium hydroxide (KOH).
The substrate is immersed in an etching solution for silicon such as an aqueous solution or an aqueous solution of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), and the openings 2 are formed using the silicon nitride films 24 and 32 as a mask.
The portion of the substrate 31 exposed from the substrate 4a is anisotropically etched into a trapezoid to form a trapezoidal groove 31a having a depth of about 10 μm and having an inclined surface 31b continuous with the opening 24a (FIG. 3).
(A) (b)). In addition, instead of the groove 31a, for example,
A pyramid-shaped trench may be formed. Since the substrate 31 has a (100) orientation, the angle formed by the inclined surface 31b of the groove 31a with respect to the substrate surface is 54.74 °, as is well known. As can be seen from a process described later, this angle is determined by the lever portion 21 and the probe portion 22.
And the angle between them.

Next, the substrate 3 is again formed by the LP-CVD method or the like.
The silicon nitride films 25 and 33 having a thickness of 0.15 μm are formed on both surfaces of the substrate 1. In the present embodiment, the silicon nitride film 24,
Although the silicon nitride films 25 and 33 are formed without removing the silicon nitride film 32, the silicon nitride films 25 and 33 may be formed after removing the silicon nitride films 24 and 32. Next, the silicon nitride film 25 on the upper surface of the substrate 31 is patterned according to desired shapes of the lever portion 21, the probe portion 22, and the support 23 by using a lithography method or the like. In this example,
The silicon nitride film 25 is patterned so that the portion formed on the inclined surface 31b becomes the probe portion 22.
That is, first, on the silicon nitride film 25, the lever portion 21,
A resist film 34 is formed according to the desired shape of the probe 22 and the support 23 (FIGS. 3C and 3D). Thereafter, unnecessary portions of the silicon nitride films 24 and 25 on the upper surface and all the silicon nitride films 32 and 33 on the lower surface are removed by isotropic etching such as a dry etching method (FIGS. 3E and 3F).
(G)). At this time, since the silicon nitride film 25 is isotropically etched, the silicon nitride film 25 protected by the resist film 34 is under-etched, and the tip of the probe portion 22 made of the silicon nitride film 25 is 3 (g) is sharpened. Next, the resist film 34 is removed.

Thereafter, a Pyrex glass member 26 constituting the support 23 is bonded to a predetermined position on the silicon nitride film 25 by an anodic bonding method or the like (FIGS. 4A and 4B).

Finally, the substrate in the state shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B is immersed in a KOH aqueous solution or a TMAH aqueous solution to form a substrate 3.
1 is removed (FIGS. 4C and 4D). As a result, FIG.
The cantilever shown in is completed.

Although not shown in the drawings, the Pyrex glass member 26 is not used, and the silicon nitride films 32 and 33 on the lower surface of the substrate 31 are not entirely removed to leave a portion corresponding to the support. Leaving the part of the substrate 31 corresponding to the body,
These may constitute a support.

In the method of manufacturing the cantilever described above, since the silicon wafer having the (100) plane orientation is used, the angle between the lever portion 21 and the probe portion 22 is 54.74 ° as described above. By using a wafer whose crystal orientation is inclined with respect to the wafer, this angle can be made closer to 90 °. In the first place (10
0) A silicon wafer having a plane orientation is obtained by cutting a silicon single crystal ingot in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the crystal is grown. When the angle of the slice is made oblique, the (100) plane The bearing will tilt. For example, the (100) plane orientation is 30 ° with respect to the wafer.
When an inclined wafer is used, the angle of the groove 31a formed by anisotropic etching is 84.74 ° on one side and 24.74 ° on the other side as shown in FIG. By forming the probe 22 on the inclined surface 31b having the steeper angle, the angle formed between the lever 21 and the probe 22 is 84.7.
4 °. FIG. 5 is a schematic sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3A, and in FIG. 5, the same reference numerals are given to the same or corresponding elements as those in FIG. 3A.

When the cantilever is manufactured by the manufacturing method described above, the length of the probe 22 is 7 μm,
2 is a thin plate having a thickness of 0.15 μm, and an aspect ratio, which is a ratio between the height and the thickness of the probe 22, can be about 47.

Next, a mechanical evaluation of the cantilever manufactured by the above manufacturing method and having the above dimensions is performed. In order to simplify the calculation, as shown in FIG.
The probe portion 22 at the tip of is provided perpendicular to the lever portion 21 and has a quadrangular shape. The lever 21
The length L is 200 μm, the width W is 40 μm, and the thickness T is 0.1 μm.
The probe section 22 has a length H of 7 μm, a width I of 7 μm, and a thickness S of 0.15 μm. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a model for calculating the mechanical strength of the cantilever.

In the cantilever according to the present embodiment, the probe 22 is formed of a thin film in order to increase the aspect ratio of the probe 22. Therefore, if the strength of the probe portion 22 is insufficient compared with the lever portion 21, the efficiency of converting the influence of the tip of the probe 22 into the bending of the lever portion 21 decreases. Therefore, first, the strength of the probe section 22 is verified.

First, the buckling strength F of the probe portion 22 will be verified. The buckling strength F of the probe part 22 is given by the following equation (1).

[0048]

F = π ² EI / 4H ² where E is Young's modulus, I is the second moment of area, and H is the height of the probe section 22. Since the Young's modulus of the silicon nitride film forming the probe portion 22 is about 150 N / Pa, the buckling strength F is calculated to be about 32 mN. On the other hand, since the atomic force microscope scans the sample surface with a force of about 1 nN, it can be said that the buckling strength is sufficient.

Second, the spring constant of the probe portion 22 in the compression direction will be verified. If the spring constant of the probe portion 22 in the compression direction is smaller than the spring constant of the lever portion 21 in the bending direction, the probe portion 22
Cannot be efficiently converted into the deflection of the lever portion 21. The spring constant of the probe part in the compression direction is given by
Given by

[0050]

K = EA / H where E is Young's modulus, A is the cross-sectional area of the probe section 22, and H is the height (length) of the probe section 22. When the above numerical value is substituted into Equation 2 and calculated, k = 22.5 KN / m.
Next, the spring constant k in the bending direction of the lever portion 21 is given by the following Expression 3.

[0051]

[Mathematical formula-see original document] k = EWT ³ / 4L ^{3 By} substituting the above-mentioned numerical value into the numerical formula 3, the following equation is obtained.
2 N / m. That is, it can be said that the spring constant of the probe portion 22 in the compression direction is sufficiently harder than the bending of the lever portion 21.

Third, the spring constant of the probe portion 22 in the bending direction will be verified. If the spring constant of the probe portion 22 in the bending direction is smaller than the spring constant of the lever portion 21 in the torsion direction, the probe portion 2
The force applied to the side surface of the tip of No. 2 cannot be efficiently converted into the twist of the lever portion 21. The spring constant in the bending direction of the probe part 22 is also given by the above equation (3). Substituting the above numerical value into Equation 3 and calculating results in k = 2.6 N / m. On the other hand, the spring constant of the lever portion 21 in the torsion direction is given by the following Expression 4.

[0053]

Equation 4] k = GWT ³ / 3LH ² where, G denotes the shear modulus. In the present embodiment, a nitride film is used as the material of the cantilever, and the silicon nitride film has a shear modulus of elasticity of 50 N / Pa. When the above numerical values are substituted into Equation 4 and calculated, k = 4.5 N / m. As a result, the twist of the lever portion 21 is harder than the deflection of the probe portion 22, but the lateral force applied to the probe portion 22 can be sufficiently transmitted to the lever portion 21.

Finally, the resonance frequency of the probe portion 22 in the bending direction and the resonance frequency of the lever portion 21 in the torsion direction will be verified. The resonance frequency in the bending direction of the probe 22 is
If the resonance frequency in the torsional direction is sufficiently high, the lateral force applied to the probe 22 can be transmitted to the lever 21 without delay. In general, the resonance frequency of the lever portion 21 in the bending direction is given by the following Expression 5 (KE Pe
tersen, "Silicon asa Mechanical Material", Proc. o
f the IEEE, Vol. 70, No. 5, May 1982, pp. 420-45
7).

[0055]

F = (0.162 T / L ² ) · (EK / ρ) ^1/2 where T is the thickness of the lever portion 21, L is the length of the lever portion 21, and K is an adjustment factor and is approximately 1 , Ρ is the density of the lever portion 21. In Expression 5, if T is the thickness H of the probe portion 22, L is the length H of the probe portion 22, and ρ is the density of the probe portion 22, Expression 5 is the bending direction of the probe portion 22. Will be shown. In the present embodiment, a silicon nitride film is used as the material of the probe portion 22, and the density of the silicon nitride film is 3.1.
g / cm. By substituting the above numerical value into Equation 5, the number of resonance weeks in the bending direction of the probe part 22 is f = 6.7.
MHz. On the other hand, the resonance frequency of the lever portion 21 in the torsion direction is given by the following Equation 6 (S. Timoshenko and
DH Young, "VIBRATION PROBLEMS IN ENGINEERING Fo
rth edition ", 1974 John Wiley and Sons).

[0056]

F = 1 / {4L · (G / P) ^1/2 } By substituting the above numerical value into Equation 6, a calculation results in f = 5 MH
z. Therefore, the resonance frequency of the probe portion 22 in the bending direction is higher than the resonance frequency of the lever portion 21 in the torsion direction, and the lateral force applied to the probe portion 22 can be transmitted to the lever portion 21 without delay. I understand.

FIG. 14A shows an example of observing the line and space of a semiconductor using the cantilever according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 14A, 2a and 2b are adjacent wiring patterns, and 2c is a gap between the wiring patterns 2a and 2b, as in FIG. 14B described above. In this example, the wiring patterns 2a and 2b are
It extends in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. In the cantilever according to the present embodiment, since the probe portion 22 is formed in a thin plate shape, as shown in FIG. 14A, the probe portion 22 is formed between the wiring patterns 2a and 2b integrated to about 200 nm. The probe 22 can be inserted into the gap 2c.
Since the tip of is sharp, the foot portion 2d can be imaged.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The cantilever according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The cantilever according to the present embodiment has basically the same configuration as the cantilever according to the first embodiment.
Only the shape of the tip of. Therefore, here, FIG.
Is referred to as it is, and duplicate description is omitted.

FIG. 7A is a schematic enlarged perspective view showing the tip of the probe portion 22 of the cantilever according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7B is a schematic enlarged perspective view showing a tip portion of the probe portion 22 of the cantilever according to the second embodiment.

In the cantilever according to the first embodiment manufactured by the manufacturing method shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 described above, the shape of the tip of the probe portion 22 is microscopically shown in FIG.
(A). That is, in the cantilever according to the first embodiment, as described above,
As shown in FIG. 7A, the position of the corner A on the front surface side of the probe portion 22 and the position of the corner B on the back surface side of the probe portion 22 correspond to the probe portion 2.
2 is shifted in the direction of the surface 2 and connects the angle A and the angle B.
2a is curved inward. However, in the cantilever according to the first embodiment, the sides 22b and 22c on both sides of the back surface of the probe portion 22 and the sides 22b and 22c near the corner B of the back surface are curved outward. doing.

On the other hand, in the cantilever according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7B, the position of the angle A on the front surface side of the probe portion 22 and the position of the angle B on the rear surface side of the probe portion 22 are different. The position is shifted in the direction of the surface of the probe portion 22, the ridge line 22a connecting the angle A and the angle B is curved inward, and the sides 22b, 22c on both sides of the back surface of the probe portion 22. The sides 22b and 22c on both sides in the vicinity of the corner B on the back surface also
Curved inward. Therefore, in the cantilever according to the present embodiment, the tip of the probe portion 22 is further sharpened as compared with the cantilever according to the first embodiment, which is more preferable in improving the resolution.

Next, an example of a method of manufacturing the cantilever according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a manufacturing process of the cantilever according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a process subsequent to the process illustrated in FIG. FIGS. 8A and 8B are a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing the same step, respectively, and FIGS.
Is a schematic cross-sectional view and a schematic plan view showing the same process,
FIG. 8E is an enlarged view of a portion K surrounded by a circle in FIG.
FIGS. 8F and 8G are schematic sectional views and schematic plan views respectively showing the same steps, FIGS. 9A and 9B are schematic sectional views and schematic plan views respectively showing the same steps, and FIG. FIG.
(B) Enlarged view of L portion circled in FIG. 9 (d) (e)
FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view and a schematic plan view showing a completed state. 8 and FIG. 9, the same reference numerals are given to the elements corresponding to the respective elements in FIG.
Elements that are the same as or correspond to the elements in FIG.

First, a semiconductor substrate having a thickness of 250 μm was used.
Using a silicon single crystal substrate 31 of m, (100) plane orientation, the substrate 31 is formed by LP-CVD (low pressure CVD) or the like.
The silicon nitride films 24 and 32 having a thickness of 0.25 μm are formed on both surfaces of the substrate. Next, the silicon nitride film 24 is patterned using a lithography method and a dry etching method, thereby forming a strip-shaped opening 24 a exposing the surface of the substrate 31 at a predetermined position of the silicon nitride film 24. The pattern shape, size, and number of the openings 24a can be set arbitrarily. Next, this substrate was washed with potassium hydroxide (KOH).
The substrate is immersed in an etching solution for silicon such as an aqueous solution or an aqueous solution of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), and the openings 2 are formed using the silicon nitride films 24 and 32 as a mask.
The portion of the substrate 31 exposed from 4a is anisotropically etched into a triangular cross section to form a groove 31a having a depth of about 15 μm and having an inclined surface 31b continuous with the opening 24a (FIG. 8).
(A) (b)). In addition, instead of the groove 31a, for example,
A pyramid-shaped trench may be formed. Since the substrate 31 has a (100) orientation, the angle formed by the inclined surface 31b of the groove 31a with respect to the substrate surface is 54.74 °, as is well known. As can be seen from a process described later, this angle is determined by the lever portion 21 and the probe portion 22.
And the angle between them.

Next, the substrate 3 is again formed by the LP-CVD method or the like.
The silicon nitride films 25 and 33 having a thickness of 0.15 μm are formed on both surfaces of the substrate 1. In the present embodiment, the silicon nitride film 24,
Although the silicon nitride films 25 and 33 are formed without removing the silicon nitride film 32, the silicon nitride films 25 and 33 may be formed after removing the silicon nitride films 24 and 32. Next, the silicon nitride film 25 on the upper surface of the substrate 31 is patterned according to desired shapes of the lever portion 21, the probe portion 22, and the support 23 by using a lithography method or the like. In this example,
The silicon nitride film 25 is patterned so that the portion formed on the inclined surface 31b becomes the probe portion 22.
That is, first, on the silicon nitride film 25, the lever portion 21,
A resist film 34 is formed according to the desired shape of the probe portion 22 and the support 23 (FIGS. 8C, 8D, and 8E).
At this time, the resist film 34 is
a, region 34b for lever portion 21 and region 3 for support 23
4c, a dummy region 34d is provided. Probe part 2
Between the second region 34a and the dummy region 34d, the probe portion 22 in the silicon nitride film 25 is formed by a later etching process.
For example, the portion corresponding to the use region 34a (the probe portion 22) is separated from the portion 27 corresponding to the dummy region 34d in the silicon nitride film 25 so as to be narrowly narrowed, for example, to the very limit of the resolution of the lithography method (FIG. 8). (E)). The dummy region 34d is located in the extension direction of the probe 22 with respect to the region 34a for the probe 22. afterwards,
Unnecessary portions of the silicon nitride films 24 and 25 on the upper surface and all the silicon nitride films 32 and 33 on the lower surface are removed by isotropic etching such as a dry etching method (FIGS. 8F and 8G).
At this time, since the silicon nitride film 25 is isotropically etched, the silicon nitride film 25 protected by the resist film 34 is under-etched. By this under-etching, the region 34 for the probe portion 22 of the resist film 34 is formed.
a and the lower side of the constricted portion between the dummy region 34d,
The silicon nitride film 25 is separated into a portion forming the probe portion 22 and a portion 27 corresponding to the dummy region 34d, and the tip of the probe portion 22 is sharpened. Next, when the resist film 34 is removed, the sharpened probe portion 22 and a portion 27 corresponding to the dummy region 34d separated therefrom appear on the surface (FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C).

Thereafter, a Pyrex glass member 26 constituting the support 23 is bonded to a predetermined portion on the silicon nitride film 25 by an anodic bonding method or the like (FIGS. 9A and 9B).

Finally, the substrate in the state shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B is immersed in a KOH aqueous solution or a TMAH aqueous solution to obtain a substrate 3.
1 is removed (FIGS. 9D and 9E). At this time, the probe part 2
The portion 27 of the silicon nitride film 25 separated from the substrate 2 loses its support by the substrate 31 and is released in the aqueous solution. Thus, the cantilever according to the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 7B is completed.

Although not shown in the drawings, without using the Pyrex glass member 26, the silicon nitride films 32 and 33 on the lower surface of the substrate 31 are not entirely removed to leave a portion corresponding to the support. Leaving the part of the substrate 31 corresponding to the body,
These may constitute a support.

In the method of manufacturing the cantilever described above, since the silicon wafer having the (100) orientation is used, the angle between the lever 21 and the probe 22 becomes 54.74 ° as described above. By using a wafer whose crystal orientation is inclined with respect to the wafer, this angle can be made closer to 90 °.

According to the cantilever according to the present embodiment, the foot portion can be imaged similarly to the cantilever according to the first embodiment, and the tip of the probe portion 22 is further sharpened. Therefore, the resolution is further improved.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The cantilever according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing the cantilever according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 10, FIG.
Elements that are the same as or correspond to the elements in them are given the same reference numerals,
The duplicate description is omitted.

The cantilever according to the present embodiment has basically the same configuration as the cantilever according to the first embodiment, and differs only in the following points.
That is, also in the present embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the support body 23 is made of a pyrex glass (trade name) member 26 and the silicon nitride film 24 at a position where the pyrex glass member 26 is joined. , 25, but in the present embodiment, the silicon nitride films 24, 2 at the locations where the Pyrex glass members 26 are joined.
5 and the silicon nitride film 2 forming the lever portion 21
4, 25 are continuous but form a predetermined angle. The silicon nitride films 24 and 25 where the Pyrex glass member 26 is joined are parallel to the probe 22. However, the configuration of the support 23 is not limited to such a configuration, and may be configured using, for example, a semiconductor substrate. In addition, Pyrex glass member 2
6 where the silicon nitride films 24 and 25 are joined.
Is connected to the side portion located on the side of the rear portion of the lever portion 21 by the silicon nitride films 24 and 25 of the lever portion 21 continuing to the probe portion 25 as it is.

Next, an example of a method of manufacturing the cantilever shown in FIG. 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a manufacturing process of the cantilever illustrated in FIG. 10, and FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a process subsequent to the process illustrated in FIG. 11A, 11B and 11C show the same steps, respectively. FIG. 11A is a schematic plan view, and FIG.
FIG. 11B is a schematic sectional view taken along line X1-X1 ′ in FIG. 11A, and FIG. 11C is a sectional view taken along line X2-X2 ′ in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view along a line. FIG. 11 (d) (e)
11F shows the same process, FIG. 11D is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 11E is X3-X3 ′ in FIG. 11D.
FIG. 11F is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line X4-X4 ′ in FIG. 11D. FIG.
(G), (h) and (i) show the same step, respectively, and FIG.
11 (g) is a schematic plan view, FIG. 11 (h) is a schematic sectional view taken along line X5-X5 ′ in FIG. 11 (g), and FIG. 11 (i) is X6-X6 ′ in FIG. 11 (g). FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view along a line. 12 (a), 12 (b) and 12 (c) show the same step, FIG. 12 (a) is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 12 (b) is FIG.
FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional view taken along line X7-X7 ′ in FIG.
FIG. 13C is a schematic sectional view taken along line X8-X8 ′ in FIG. 12 (d), (e) and (f) show the same step, respectively, and FIG. 12 (d) is a schematic plan view.
12E is a schematic sectional view taken along line X9-X9 ′ in FIG. 12D, and FIG. 12F is X10-X1 in FIG. 12D.
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view along the line 0 ′. FIG. 12 (g) (h)
(I) shows the same process, FIG. 12 (g) is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 12 (h) is X11-X1 in FIG. 12 (g).
FIG. 12 (i) is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line 1 ′.
It is a schematic sectional drawing along the X12-X12 'line in (g). In FIGS. 11 and 12, elements corresponding to the elements in FIGS. 10, 3 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

First, a semiconductor substrate having a thickness of 250 μm was used.
Using a silicon single crystal substrate 31 having an m, (100) plane orientation, silicon oxide films 35 and 36 having a thickness of 0.5 μm are formed on both surfaces of the substrate 31 by thermal oxidation. Next, by patterning the silicon oxide film 35 using a lithography method and a dry etching method, a band-shaped opening 35 a exposing the surface of the substrate 31 is formed at a predetermined position of the silicon oxide film 35.
To form The pattern shape, size, and quantity of the openings 35a can be set arbitrarily. Next, this substrate is immersed in an etching solution for silicon such as an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or an aqueous solution of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), and the silicon oxide film 35,
Using the mask 36 as a mask, the portion of the substrate 31 exposed from the opening 35a is anisotropically etched in a trapezoidal shape to form a trapezoidal groove 30a having a depth of about 30 μm and a slope 31b continuous with the opening 35a (FIG. 11 (a) (b) (c)). Thereafter, the substrate is immersed in a hydrofluoric acid aqueous solution to form a silicon oxide film 3.
Remove all 8,36. In addition, instead of the groove 31a,
For example, a pyramid-shaped trench may be formed. Since the substrate 31 has a (100) orientation, the angle formed by the inclined surface 31b of the groove 31a with respect to the substrate surface is 54.74 °, as is well known. As will be understood from the steps described later, this angle is the angle formed by the lever 21 and the probe 22.

Next, the substrate 3 is again formed by the LP-CVD method or the like.
1. Silicon nitride films 24 and 32 having a thickness of 0.25 μm
(The silicon nitride film 32 on the lower surface is not shown). Next, patterning is performed on the silicon nitride film 24 on the upper surface of the substrate 31 by using a lithography method or the like according to the desired shapes of the lever portion 21 and the support 23 (FIG. 11).
(D) (e) (f)). At this time, the silicon nitride film 3 on the lower surface
2 (not shown) are removed.

FIG. 1 is again obtained by the LP-CVD method or the like.
Silicon nitride films 25 and 33 having a thickness of 0.15 μm are formed on both surfaces of the substrate 31 in the state shown in 1 (d), (e) and (f). Next, the silicon nitride film 25 on the upper surface of the substrate 31 is patterned according to desired shapes of the lever portion 21, the probe portion 22, and the support 23 by using a lithography method or the like. In this example, patterning is performed so that the portion of the silicon nitride film 25 formed on the surface of the substrate 31 becomes the probe 22. That is, a resist film 34 is formed on the silicon nitride film 25 in accordance with the desired shapes of the lever 21, the probe 22, and the support 23 (FIGS. 11G and 11H).
(I)). Thereafter, unnecessary portions of the silicon nitride film 25 on the upper surface and the silicon nitride film 33 on the entire lower surface are removed by isotropic etching such as dry etching (FIG. 12A).
(B) (c)). At this time, since the silicon nitride film 25 is isotropically etched, the silicon nitride film 25 protected by the resist film 34 is under-etched,
The tip of the probe portion 22 made of the silicon nitride film 25 is shown in FIG.
It is sharpened as shown in FIG. Next, the resist film 34
Get rid of.

Thereafter, a Pyrex glass member 26 constituting the support 23 is bonded to a predetermined position on the silicon nitride film 25 by an anodic bonding method or the like (FIGS. 12D and 12E).
(F)).

Finally, the substrate 31 shown in FIGS. 12 (d), (e) and (f) is immersed in a KOH aqueous solution or a TMAH aqueous solution to remove the substrate 31 (FIGS. 12 (g) (h) (i)). .
Thus, the cantilever shown in FIG. 10 is completed.

In the manufacturing method described above, the silicon nitride film 2
5, the portion formed on the surface 31b of the substrate 31 is used as the probe part 22, so that the substrate 31 in the silicon nitride film 25 is used as in the manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS.
As compared with the case where the portion formed on the inclined surface 31b of the
2 can be transferred to the resist film 34 more precisely, and the probe portion 22 can be manufactured more accurately. The substrate 31 in the silicon nitride film 25
Since the portion formed on the surface 31b is used as the probe portion 22, the length and shape of the probe portion 22 can be made more freely without being restricted by the size of the inclined surface 31b.

In the method of manufacturing the cantilever described above, since the silicon wafer having the (100) orientation is used, the angle between the lever 21 and the probe 22 is 54.74 ° as described above. By using a wafer whose (100) crystal orientation is inclined with respect to the wafer, this angle can be made closer to 90 °.

According to the cantilever of the present embodiment, the foot portion can be imaged similarly to the cantilever of the first embodiment, and the length and shape of the probe portion 22 can be arbitrarily and accurately determined. Can be made.

By employing the manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, which is a modification of the manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the cantilever shown in FIG. 10) by adopting a modified manufacturing method of the manufacturing method described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. A tip portion of the probe portion 22 as shown in FIG. 7B can be obtained.
In this case, for example, in the manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, in the step of forming the resist film 34 shown in FIGS. 11 (g), (h), and (i), as shown in FIG. 34, the area 34a for the probe section 22 and the lever section 2
What is necessary is just to form so that it may have the dummy area | region 34d other than the area | region 34b for 1 and the area | region 34c for the support body 23. Between the region 34a for the probe portion 22 and the dummy region 34d, a portion (probe portion 22) corresponding to the region 34a for the probe portion 22 in the silicon nitride film 25 is formed in the silicon nitride film 25 by a later etching process. For example, it is narrowly narrowed so as to be separated from a portion corresponding to the dummy region 34d, for example, at the very limit of the resolution of the lithography method. FIG. 13 is a view showing a modification of the manufacturing method. FIG. 13 (a) is a schematic plan view corresponding to FIG. 11 (g), and FIG. 13 (b) is a circle in FIG. 13 (a). It is an enlarged view of the enclosed M part.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in the above-described cantilever shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 10, if a conductive film such as a metal film or a magnetic film is formed at least at the tip of the probe portion 22, a scanning tunneling microscope, a scanning capacitance microscope, a scanning electrostatic It can be used in various other scanning probe microscopes such as force microscopes and scanning magnetic force microscopes.

The manufacturing method described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9 and the manufacturing method described with reference to FIG. 13 manufacture a member having a sharpened portion using a member having a sharpened portion as a cantilever. This is a specific example of the method of performing the above. However, the method of manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion according to the present invention can be applied to a method of manufacturing various members having a sharpened portion other than the cantilever, for example, a method in which a discharge electrode is formed on a semiconductor substrate. The present invention can be applied to the case of manufacturing a device. In this case, for example, a film corresponding to the silicon nitride film 25 to be a sharpened portion may be a metal film.

[0084]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A cantilever having a high aspect ratio, a probe portion can be inserted into a minute gap, and a tip of the probe having a sharp tip, and a method for manufacturing the same can be provided.

Therefore, by using the cantilever according to the present invention, it is possible to observe a very steep and deep bottom portion such as a semiconductor foot portion with high resolution.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method of manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion such as a cantilever, which can be sharpened as compared with the related art.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a cantilever according to first and second embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing various examples of the surface shape of a probe section.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view showing a manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG. 1 and subsequent to FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view showing another example of the manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a model for calculating the mechanical strength of the cantilever shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic enlarged perspective view showing a distal end portion of a probe portion of the cantilever according to the first and second embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a view showing still another example of the manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a view showing the manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG. 1 and subsequent to FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a cantilever according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG. 10 and subsequent to FIG. 11;

13 is a diagram showing another example of the manufacturing process of the cantilever shown in FIG.

14 is a diagram showing an example of observing a sample using the cantilever shown in FIG. 1 and an example of observing a sample using the conventional cantilever.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2a, 2b Wiring pattern 2c Gap 2d Foot part 21 Lever part 22 Probe part 23 Support body 24, 25 Silicon nitride film 24a Opening 26 Pyrex glass part 27 Part corresponding to dummy area in silicon nitride film 31 Silicon single crystal substrate 31a Groove 31b Inclined surface 34 Resist film 34a Probe area 34b Lever area 34c Support area 34d Dummy area

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A thin plate-like lever portion, and a thin plate-like probe portion provided at a tip end portion of the lever portion, wherein a direction of a surface of the lever portion and a direction of a surface of the probe portion are different from each other. Are different from each other. 2. The cantilever according to claim 1, wherein a base portion of the probe portion is connected to a side portion of a tip portion of the lever portion. 3. The probe according to claim 1, wherein a surface shape of the probe portion has a corner, and the position of the corner on the front surface side of the probe portion and the position of the corner on the back surface side of the probe portion are the probe. 3. The cantilever according to claim 1, wherein the cantilever is shifted in a direction of a surface of the portion. 4. The cantilever according to claim 3, wherein a ridge connecting the corner on the front surface side of the probe portion and the corner on the back surface side of the probe portion is curved inward. 5. A side surface on one side of one of a front surface and a rear surface of the probe portion, and both sides near the corner of the surface are curved inward. 4
The cantilever described. 6. A method for manufacturing a cantilever having a thin plate-like lever portion and a thin plate-like probe portion provided at a tip end portion of the lever portion, wherein a first film is formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate. Forming an opening exposing the surface of the semiconductor substrate at a predetermined location of the first film; etching the portion of the semiconductor substrate exposed from the opening to form the first film Forming a groove or trench in the semiconductor substrate, the groove or trench having a slope inclined with respect to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, the groove or trench being continuous with the opening of the semiconductor substrate, without removing the first film or Forming a second film on the inclined surface of the groove or the trench and around the same after removing the first film; and removing the first and second films from the lever portion and the probe portion. Putter according to shape Process and method of manufacturing a cantilever, characterized in that it and a step of removing the semiconductor substrate near the inclined surface of the groove or trench for packaging. 7. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of patterning comprises:
7. The cantilever according to claim 6, further comprising a step of patterning the first and second films so that a portion formed on the inclined surface of the second film becomes the probe portion. 8. Production method. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of patterning comprises:
7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of patterning the first and second films so that a portion formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate in the second film becomes the probe portion. Manufacturing method of cantilever. 9. The method for manufacturing a cantilever according to claim 6, wherein said semiconductor substrate is a silicon single crystal substrate. 10. The semiconductor substrate according to claim 6, wherein the (100) crystal orientation is inclined with respect to the substrate.
10. The method for manufacturing a cantilever according to any one of claims 9 to 9. 11. The step of patterning includes a step of, after forming a resist film on the second film, isotropically etching the first and second films so that under-etching occurs. Claims 6 to 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.
0. The method for producing a cantilever according to any one of the above items. 12. The patterning step includes a step of forming a resist film on the second film and an etching step of isotropically etching the first and second films after forming the resist film. Wherein the resist film has a dummy region and a probe portion region corresponding to the probe portion, the gap between the probe portion region and the dummy region is narrow and continuous, and the etching step So that underetching occurs and a portion corresponding to the probe portion region in the first and second films is separated from a portion corresponding to the dummy region in the first and second films. The method for manufacturing a cantilever according to any one of claims 6 to 10, further comprising a step of isotropically etching the first and second films. 13. A method for manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion, wherein at least one film is formed on a predetermined surface of a first member, and a resist film is formed on the at least one film. And an etching step of isotropically etching the at least one film after the formation of the resist film; and a removing step of removing at least a part of the first member. A sharpened portion region corresponding to the sharpened portion, the gap between the sharpened portion region and the dummy region is narrowed and continuous, and the etching process includes underetching and the at least one film. The at least one film is formed such that a portion corresponding to the sharpened portion region is separated from a portion corresponding to the dummy region in the at least one film. Wherein the removing step is a step of removing the first member around a portion of the at least one film corresponding to the sharpened portion region. A method for manufacturing a member having a sharpened portion.