We achieved to etch nano- and deep structures in silicon using ICP-cryogenic dry etching process. We etched nanopores
and nanocantilevers with an etch rate of 13 nm/min, nanopillars with an etch rate of 2.8 μm/min - 4.0 μm/min, membrane
and cantilever structures with an etch rate of 4 μm/min and 3 μm/min, respectively. Nanopores and nanocantilevers
are interesting structures for Bionanoelectronics. Nanopillars can be used as substrates/templates for the MOCVD
growth of GaN nanoLEDs. They are the basic constituents of a nanoparticle balance and also of a thermoelectric generator.
For the joining of the silicon wafers of the thermoelectric generator the low temperature joining technique can be
used. Cantilevers can be used for sensing, e.g. as tactile cantilevers. They can be used also as resonator for mass sensing
even in the subnanogram region. The actuation of the resonator can be done by using piezoelectric thin films on the
cantilevers. The mass detection depends on the resonance frequency shift caused by loaded mass on the cantilevers. Such
cantilevers are robust and easy to produce. The deep etching in silicon was done by using a photoresist mask and
creating perpendicular and smooth sidewalls.
A piezoresistive silicon cantilever-type tactile sensor was described as well as its application for dimensional metrology
with micro components and as a transferable force standard in the micro-to-nano Newton range. As an example for
tactile probing metrology the novel cantilever sensor was used for surface scanning with calibrated groove and
roughness artifacts. Force metrology was addressed based on calibration procedures which were developed for
commercial stylus instruments as well as for glass pipettes designed for the characterization of the vital forces of isolated
cells.
A new tactile sensor with piezoresistive read-out is presented. The sensor is designed for measurements of high aspect ratio structures with a resolution of some ten nanometer and a measuring range of hundreds of micrometer. Possible applications of the sensor are suggested. The silicon micromachining fabrication process is shown in detail next to the finite element simulations we performed. First measurements and a calibration process are described and the results are shown. The implementation into a measuring system is indicated.
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