Abstract
A micro-step reference has been developed by using an anisotropic etching of a (100) silicon wafer. As the etching process of the reference is dominated by the crystal orientation, it has a geometrically accurate profile compared with those manufactured by conventional mechanical tooling techniques. The reference has a multi-step cross section so that calibrations of surface profilers are easily performed in a small measurement length within the full dynamic range of the measurment instrument. Three fabrication methods are described-1) multi exposure-etching, 2) stripe pattern modulation, and newly proposed 3) checker pattern modulation. A theoretical design and results of experimental fabrications are shown. All methods can be used for micro-step reference, however, the latter two have still some problems to be improved.
