Patent Number: 053171411
Section: abstract

A method of alignment of a first object with a second object includes the steps of determining the location of a feature on a surface of the second object using a probe of a scanned probe microscope, and positioning the first object in preselected spatial relationship with respect to the located feature. In an apparatus for performing lithography on a substrate, having a mask and a mask holder supporting the mask, an improvement includes an apparatus having a probe of a scanned probe microscope, for determining the location of a feature on a surface of the substrate. A method of forming a probe of a scanned probe microscope on a substrate includes the steps of providing a conductive base, having a tungsten surface layer, on the substrate, providing a dielectric layer and a high-temperature polymeric layer on the conductive base; opening a hole through the dielectric layer and the organic compound layer to the tungsten surface layer of the base, and selectively depositing tungsten by chemical vapor deposition on the tungsten surface in the hole to form a substantially conical tungsten tip in the hole.