Micro-cantilevers for non-destructive characterization of nanograss uniformity

We demonstrate an application of three-way flexible micro four-point probes for indirect uniformity characterization of surface morphology. The mean sheet conductance of a quasi-planar 3D nanostructured surface is highly dependent on the surface morphology, and thus accurate sheet conductance measurements may be useful for process uniformity characterization. The method is applied for characterization of TiW coated nanograss uniformity. Three-way flexible L-shaped cantilever electrodes are used to avoid damage to the fragile surface, and a relative standard deviation on measurement repeatability of 0.12 % is obtained with a measurement yield of 97%. Finally, variations in measured sheet conductance are correlated to the surface morphology as characterized by electron microscopy.