Title:
DIAMOND PROBE AND ITS FORMING METHOD
Document Type and Number:
Japanese Patent JPH0275902
Kind Code:
A
Abstract:
PURPOSE:To improve the resolution of the device used for the title method by precipitating a carbon film in which columnar diamond crystals and amorphous carbon components are mixed with each other at the front end section of a diamond probe material with a pointed tip and etching the amorphous carbon components only. CONSTITUTION:A carbon film in which columnar diamond crystals 2 and amorphous carbon components 3 are mixed is precipitated on the surface of the diamond probe material 1 obtained by working the front end of a rod wire to a conical form by a vapor phase synthesis method. Then oxygen plasma etching is performed on the carbon film in a microwave plasma CVD device by introducing oxygen gas into the device instead of a mixed gas of hydrogen and hydrocarbon. Since the etching speed of the carbon components 3 by oxygen plasma is overwhelmingly faster than that of the diamond crystals 2, the former is preferentially etched and, as a result, a diamond probe having an extremely sharp pointed tip with protruding diamond crystals 2 is obtained. When a conductive platinum film 4 having a thickness of about several tens Angstrom is formed on the surface of the probe thus obtained, the probe of a detecting section for scanning tunnel type microscope can be manufactured.
Inventors:
NISHIKAWA AKIRA
Application Number:
JP22899188A
Publication Date:
March 15, 1990
Filing Date:
September 13, 1988
Export Citation:
Assignee:
SEIKO INSTR INC
International Classes:
G01B7/34; G01N23/00; G01Q60/16; G01Q70/14; H01J1/304; H01J9/02; (IPC1-7): G01B7/34; G01N23/00; H01J37/28
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Keinosuke Hayashi
Next Patent: JPH0275903