Patent ID: 6978654

Claim:
A method of obtaining a partial deep feature atomic force microscopy (AFM) image comprising: loading a sample into an AFM scanner machine, wherein the sample has deep features formed therein, and wherein the AFM scanner machine has a scanner head with an AFM tip attached thereto; calibrating the scanner head of the AFM scanner machine, wherein the calibrating of the scanner head comprises: scanning deep features formed in the sample with the AFM tip along a first line in a first direction, determining a first tip angle measurement for the AFM tip relative to the sample along the first line for at least one of the deep features scanned along the first line, scanning deep features formed in the sample with the AFM tip along a second line in a second direction, wherein the second direction differs from the first direction, determining a second tip angle measurement for the AFM tip relative to the sample along the second line for at least one of the deep features scanned along the second line, determining a first function corresponding to the first tip angle measurements versus position along the first line, determining a second function corresponding to the second tip angle measurements versus position along the second line, and storing the first and second functions as arc functions for the scanner head; selecting a deep feature image portion desired from choices including a center portion, a left portion, and a right portion; if the center portion is selected for the deep feature image portion desired, moving the scanner head to a first position where the AFM tip is substantially perpendicular to a surface of the sample; if the left portion is selected for the deep feature image portion desired, moving the scanner head to a second position where a left face of the AFM tip will be substantially parallel with a left sidewall of one of the deep features at the second position; if the right portion is selected for the deep feature image portion desired, moving the scanner head to a third position where a right face of the AFM tip will be substantially parallel with a right sidewall of one of the deep features at the third position; and scanning one of the deep features at a current position corresponding to the selected portion to obtain a cross-section AFM image of the deep feature focusing on the selected portion.