Patent ID: 9709597
Date: 2017-07-18
CPC Classifications: G01Q,G01R

Claim:
1. A cantilever probe for use with a scanning probe microscope (SPM), the cantilever probe comprising: a base portion formed from a bulk semiconductor material; a cantilever arm formed entirely of the same bulk semiconductor material and having a proximal end portion situated over the base portion and a distal end portion protruding beyond a periphery of the base portion; a lower separation layer situated between the base portion and the proximal end portion of the cantilever arm, the lower separation layer being differentially etchable by an etch rate ratio of at least 100 relative to an etch rate of the cantilever arm and the base portion; a probe tip situated directly over a portion of the cantilever arm, wherein the portion is entirely between the proximal end portion and the distal end portion; and an upper separation layer extending parallel to the lower separation layer, wherein the upper separation layer is situated between the probe tip and the cantilever arm, the upper separation layer being differentially etchable relative to the cantilever arm, wherein the probe tip is a voidless pyramidal structure formed from the bulk semiconductor material extending from the upper separation layer.