TEST STRUCTURE FOR SPM TIP SHAPE DECONVOLUTION

A test structure for SPM cantilever tip shape deconvolution is describ ed. It consists of a silicon mono-crystalline wafer and an array of si licon sharp tips on its surface. Different types of tip shapes are obs erved with this structure. Images of the cantilever tip before and aft er contact-mode scanning are compared. Experimental studies of the dev eloped test structure containing an array of sharp tips indicate that it allows three-dimensional images of the scanning tip to be obtained.