CANTILEVER FOR SCANNING NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPE AND ITS MANUFACTURE AS WELL AS SCANNING NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a cantilever which can prevent a drop in the S/N ratio of propagating light generated by a pyramidal probe by capturing evanescent waves by a method wherein a piezoelectric film, a film whose resistance is changed or an electrode film is not formed in the tip part or its neighboring region of the pyramidal probe. ;SOLUTION: Silicon nitride films are formed, by a low-pressure CVD method, on both faces of a silicon wafer both faces of which are polished. A square patter one side of which is about 50 nm is formed on the surface side. The silicon nitride film is removed to become a square shape by a reactive ion etching operation. The exposed part of the silicon wafer is etched anisoropically, a quadrangular pyramid-shaped etched bit is formed, and silicon nitride films are formed additionally on both faces. A backetched pattern is formed on the rear of the wafer, the silicon wafer is exposed partly by a reactive ion etching operation, the wafer is etched anisotropically by potassium hydroxide, and a thickness in about 20 μm is left. The silicon wafer both faces of which are exposed is etched anisotropically, and the thickness of a cantilever is set at about 10 μm. A plate which is provided with a quadrangular pyramid probe is created together with a support member.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2000,JPO