Development of All-Diamond Scanning Probes Based on Faraday Cage Angled Etching Techniques. (2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Giese, C.; Quellmalz, P.; Knittel, P.
• Is Part Of: MRS advances. Volume 5:Number 35/36(2020)
• Page Start: 1899
• Page End: 1907
• Publication Date: 2020
• Subjects: reactive ion etching, -- diamond, -- scanning probe microscopy (SPM), -- semiconducting; Electrical engineering -- Congresses; Physics -- Congresses; Materials -- Research -- Congresses; Materials science -- Congresses; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1557/adv.2020.147
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2059-8521

Abstract

ABSTRACT: We are proposing a novel fabrication method for single crystal diamond scanning probes for atomic force microscopy (AFM), exploiting Faraday cage angled etching (FCAE). Common, oxygen-based, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) dry etching processes for diamond are limited with respect to the achievable geometries. The fabrication of freestanding micro- and nanostructures is therefore challenging. This is a major disadvantage for several application fields e.g., for realizing scanning magnetometry probes based on nitrogen vacancy (NV) centres and capable of measuring magnetic fields at the nanoscale. Combining a planar design with FCAE and state-of-the-art electron beam lithography (EBL) yields a reduction of process complexity and cost compared to the established fabrication technology of micro-opto-mechanical diamond devices. Here, we report on the direct comparison of both approaches and present first proof-of-concept planar-FCAE-prototypes for scanning probe applications.