Patent ID: 8056402

Claim:
A method, comprising: providing a substrate having a surface for forming a cantilever portion thereon, said substrate further comprising a template structure extending from said surface, said template structure defining a template edge extending from said surface; forming a probe material above said surface and said template structure; patterning said probe material to form a cantilever portion on a part of said surface and to form a tip portion on a part of said template structure, said tip portion being connected to said cantilever portion, said tip portion extending along said template edge defined by said template structure, wherein patterning said probe material comprises defining an outer contour of said tip portion and removing material from an area within said outer contour of said tip portion to define two elongated segments in said tip portion, thereby forming a tip edge, wherein an apex is located at an end of said tip edge and said two elongated segments are connected to one another at said apex; and selectively removing said template structure and a part of said substrate corresponding to said cantilever portion.