410 Prakt. Met. Sonderband 38 (2006) 
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3. SUMMARY 
The combination of SPM with optical methods to achieve nano-optical applications is an 
emerging technique for characterization of nanostructures. In the present paper 
development and refinement of SPM tips as well as their characterization by AFM 
scanning utilizing a new evaluation procedure have been presented. 
To achieve an optimized geometry of tips for nano-optical applications, etching of bended 
tungsten wires turned out to yield good results. Dedicated cutting of coated tips using FIB 
milling provides optimized tip shapes. Furthermore, a wide variety of tip shapes for 
different applications can be obtained applying this approach. 
AFM scans through dedicated structures allow to characterize the tips. Based on the 
experimental data, an evaluation of the tips is possible which considers the properties of 
the whole probe, in particular the tip apex. A deconvolution process is proposed which 
delivers the tip shape. This tip characterization approach is closely related to the real 
application case. and therefore, it can be extended for tip quality control. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
Support in preparation of tips by Liang Zhu and Andreas Mai, AMD Saxony, Dresden, 
Germany, are gratefully acknowledged. The authors also thank Robert Geer, SUNY 
Albany, New York, U.S.A., and Holm Geisler, AMD Saxony, Dresden, Germany, for 
valuable discussions to extend the application of SPM techniques for analytics and 
metrology in semiconductor industry. 
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