Facile extraction of scanning probe shape for improved deconvolution of tip-sample interaction artifacts

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has intrinsic tip-sample convolution artifacts. Commercially available tip-check samples are used to obtain only the tip radius, which can be used to deconvolute surface profiles or to quantify tip wear by relying on AFM alone. When the sample height is of the order of 100 nm or more, not only the tip radius but also the overall tip shape plays a key role in imaging. Therefore, it is necessary to know the overall tip shape, which requires a structured sample that is much larger than tip-check samples. Here, we propose to use deep reactive ion-etched holes of 1 µ diameter and 5 µ height to reconstruct the overall tip shape of three different AFM probes, namely conical, pyramidal and tetrahedral. The proposed cylindrical hole structure seems promising, as simple inversion of AFM images can provide sufficient collective features to be used for deconvolution and image enhancement.