Fabrication and Evaluation of Microwave Atomic Force Microscope Probe Formed with Coaxial Structure

Abstract

With the development of nanotechnology in recent years, many researchers have focused on the fabrication of nanomaterials and nanostructures. To apply these nanomaterials and nanostructures into electronic devices, there are great needs of quantitative measurement of electrical properties of them. To satisfy these demands, we have developed the measurement instrument named microwave atomic force microscopy (M-AFM). Special probes with two unique abilities which are transmitting and radiating the microwaves were used for M-AFM. To improve these abilities, the tip of the probe was changed from slit structure to coaxial one. In this paper the new process of fabrication of coaxial structured probes were described, and the results of M-AFM measurement on the Au/GaAs sample using former slit probe and developed coaxial probe were presented. M-AFM measurement using coaxial probe obtained the clearer image of microwave responses. Results of measurements indicated coaxial probes have higher resolution in electrical properties measurement.