doi:10.3850/978-981-08-6555-9_147

ABSTRACT

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) scratching has recently been proposed as an alternative technology to commonly used lithography-based processes for micro and nano structuring replication masters. In particular, AFM scratching enables material on the surface of a sample to be moved or removed at the micro and nano scales as a direct result of the mechanical interaction between the tip of an AFM cantilever and the workpiece material. In the majority of the reported studies investigating this process, the produced structures are restricted to simple cavities with vertical walls. In order to broaden the application area of this technology, it is important to ensure that it can be applied to manufacture complex three dimensional (3D) features. In this context, this paper presents a new “layer-based variable force scratching” strategy which combines the advantages of two approaches previously proposed by other researchers for AFM-based 3D structuring. The performance of the developed strategy was also studied by producing a 3D test structure on a brass sample. The results obtained demonstrate the benefits of employing the proposed method and also, they show the promising potential of AFM scratching to produce complex 3D micro and nano cavities.

Keywords: Atomic force microscopy scratching, Layer-based variable force scratching strategy.

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