CTE-matched Cantilevers for Improved Heated Atomic Force Microscopy and Passive-mode Scanning Thermal Microscopy

Standard high-sensitivity Au-SiN
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metal-dielectric bi-morph probes suffer from large thermally-induced deflections (≥2μm) at elevated temperature, making measurements difficult or impossible. This study describes the design, fabrication, and testing of CTE-matched AFM probes aimed to eliminate probe bending during thermal loading. After a brief introduction to the problem, 15 metal-dielectric combinations are modeled to determine the most favorable combinations. Following this analysis, Ti-coated, Cr-coated, and Ti-Ge-coated SiN
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probes are fabricated and thermally tested using a confocal microscope. The Ti-Ge-coated samples demonstrated minimal thermal deflection at temperatures as high as 100°C.