FABRICATION OF MICROTIPS ON PLANAR SPECIMENS

Microtips were formed on planar samples using 3 and 6 mu m diamond par ticles as masks for ion beam sputtering at normal incidence. Samples o f copper, 304 stainless steel, a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure a nd a BiSrCaCuO superconductor were studied. It was found that tips cou ld be formed from all materials examined. The tips were many microns t all with a radius of curvature at the apex of less than 100 nm and sha nk angles down to similar to 20 degrees. The use of carbon contaminati on spikes grown in a scanning electron microscope as specific-location masks is considered.