Applied Surface Science 46 (1990) 441-445 441

North-Holland

Scanning tunneling microscopy and technical applications

H. Strecker and G. Persch

IBM Germany, Plant Maim Laboratories, P.O. Box 2540, D-6500 Mamr, Fed. Rep. of Germany

Received 25 June 1990; accepted for publication 24 July 1990

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is applied to an expanding variety of problems, with the main emphasis on scientific
applications. There is, however, an increasing interest in technological applications of the STM; of particular interest is the detailed
characterization of the microtopography of technical surfaces. The STM with its unmatched combination of high vertical and lateral
resolution is a promising new tool that can be operated under ambient conditions, yielding three-dimensional detailed images. As an
example of a technical application we report about the characterization of substrates for magnetic recording disks in different process
steps with the STM. While the STM is now considered as a standard measuring equipment, in the meantime there exists a whole
family of scanning probe microscopes with promising applications not only in a pure scientific but also in a manufacturing
environment,

1. Introduction and sizes. The flying height of the read/write

heads for high-end hard disk drives are now below
The capability of the STM to make surface 300 nm and will decrease further on in the future.
structures on an atomic scale visible is one of its This shows that for the control of manufacturing
famous applications. There are many publications processes the resolution of the characterization
on surface reconstructions and surface reactions tools has to increase. The STM with its high
based on atomic-scale STM investigations. But resolution in three dimensions is therefore the
there are also other STM applications, which do appropriate analysis tool.
not require atomic resolution providing informa-
tion, which can not be reached by other instru-
ments. One of these applications is the three-di- 3. Instrumental
mensional characterization of surface finish on a
submicron and nanometer scale. The basics of the STM and related techniques
In the meantime the STM is the base of a are outlined in ref. [2]. All instruments have a
whole family of instruments, all with similar common concept, which means that a very small
mechanical concepts, but sensing quite different probe is scanned close over the sample. The inter-
physical interactions, not only tunneling current action between probe and sample is used in a
but also light, Van der Waals forces, magnetic feedback loop to control the distance between
forces. etc. probe and sample. The interaction can be e.g. a
tunneling current as for the STM or forces (atomic,
magnetic, etc.) for the different kinds of force
2. Applications in magnetic storage device manu- microscopes and there are also instruments, which
f acturing are using optical or other interactions.
The scanning parallel to the surface of the
The increasing bit densities of magnetic storage sample and perpendicular motion of the probe are
devices demand a decrease of the defect densities realized in most instruments by piezo crystals.

0169-4332/90/$03.50 0 1990 - Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (North-Holland)

442 H. Strecker, G. Persch / STM and technical applications

Fig. 1. STM design for manufacturing laboratory applications equipped with exchangeable sample holder and a “flywheel”
positioning system (only one shown) to select the measuring area.

For our applications in the laboratory of a 4. STM applications on substrates of magnetic

manufacturing plant, we adapted the simple con- recording disks
cept of the STM to special requirements [3]. These
are: high safety standards, easy to handle (by To achieve higher recording densities, the so-
technicians), working at ambient conditions, short called thin film disk (TFD) was developed. The
set-up times with the possibility of failure analyses. substrate is an aluminum alloy covered with an
A schematic drawing is shown in fig. 1. undercoat, a magnetic layer and an overcoat. The
The main features are, a sample holder system undercoat is an electroless-plated NiP layer (about
where small as well as large samples can be 20 pm) to increase the surface hardness. The
adapted and a reliable positioning system for the magnetic layer itself is a sputtered Co alloy of
scanning probe. The positioning system consists of about 100 nm thickness. This layer is protected by
three flywheel motors (rotating inert mass drives) sputtered carbon (about 50 nm).
for the approach of the probe to the sample and Especially for high-end applications the surface
the selection of the measuring area. This can be finish of the disk is a critical parameter. The
controlled by a video system. The scanner is a requirements are somewhat contradictory. For
single piezo tube for X-Y scanning and 2 motion magnetic performance the roughness of the surface
to follow the topography of the sample. should be as low as possible whereas for the
 H. Strecker, G. Persch / STh4 and technical applications 443

TEX.DAT
sUB.DAT

a
Fig. 2a. Aluminum substrate for magnetic disk coated with C
electroless-plated Nip. Surface topography imaged with the
STM as-received. Measuring area: 20 nrn X 20 pm, vertical bar Fig. 2c. Surface topography alter texturing. Grooves parallel to
0.05 pm. Note: z-direction given in an enlarged scale. the flying direction of the read/write head.

POL.DAT 2b) the surface is totally smooth compared to the

original substrate. Such a substrate generates such
ZI high stiction forces that the suspension of the head
could be bent. Therefore in the next process step
the substrate has to be textured (see fig. 2~). The
features of this texturing are in the sub-micron
range which cannot be resolved with conventional
stylos or optical methods. The STM can char-
acterize these features in detail without high effort
for sample preparation.

5. Advanced techniques

5.1. Materials contrast imaging with the STM

b
In addition to the topography, information
Fig. 2b. Surface topography alter polishing. Same magnifica-
tion as in fig. 2a.
about the materials can be found by different
modulation techniques [4]. One technique is to
modulate the tunneling voltage and to pick up the
start/stop performance a structured surface limits corresponding signal from the tunneling current.
the stiction forces. Only a well controlled surface With this technique a carbon surface partly
finish process can overcome this contradiction. covered with gold was imaged with the STM in
Examples of the different process steps are air. The topography of the sample is shown in fig.
given in figs. 2a to 2c. The original surface of the 3a, whereas the simultaneously measured modula-
NiP layer is imaged in fig. 2. After polishing (fig. tion signal is printed in fig. 3b. The transition
444 H. Strecker, G. Persch / STM und technical applicarrom

LASER
INTER-
FEROMETER

OSCILLATOR

FEED-BACK X-Y-Z
ELECTRONIC SCANNER

Fig. 3a. Topographic image of sputtered carbon layer (upper

left) partly covered with gold (lower right). Measuring area: 7
pm x 7 ptn, vertical bar: 0.25 urn.
Fig. 4. Block diagram of a dynamic force microscope.

AUC . WIT
microscope. The tunneling current which is used
as feedback signal in the STM is here replaced by
the forces acting between probe and sample. The
schematic arrangement of a so-called dynamic
force microscope as used in our laboratory [5] is
shown in fig. 4. The principle of the system is tc
vibrate a tip near its resonance frequency. Due tc
the force interactions between tip and sample, the

BIT.DAT

Fig. 3b. Modulation amplitude simultaneously recorded with

the topography in fig. 3a. Clear distinction between the two
materials.

between the two materials can be determined with

high resolution.

5.2. Force microscopy

The STM measurements are restricted to con-

Fig. 5. MFM image of longitudinal written bit structures of 6.5
ducting surfaces and conducting probes. These pm pitch and a track width of about 20 pm on a thin film disk
limits can be overcome with the so-called force Measuring area: 60 pm X 36 pm.
 H. Strecker, G. Persch / STM and technical applications 445

Fig. 6. Single atoms arranged by STM to a logo. Experiment performed by D.M. Eigler and E.K. Schweizer. IBM Almaden Research
Center.

resonance frequency of the tip is shifted, resulting for manufacturing applications. The STM was also
in an amplitude deviation of the vibrating tip. the nucleus for a whole family of new scanning
This can be detected by a laser-Doppler vibrome- probe microscopes. The simple concept of this
ter. pretty new technique can be adapted to a variety
Using a magnetic tip the magnetic morphology of different applications - not only restricted to
of the sample can be recorded with submicron microscopy but also used for nano-engineering.
resolution. One application is the investigation of
bit structures on thin film disks (fig. 5).
References
5.3. Surface modification with the STM
(11 G. Binnig, H. Rohrer, Ch. Gerber and E. Weibel, Phys.
Rev. Lett. 49 (1982) 57.
Another spectacular way to use the STM was
[2] H.K. Wickramasinghe, Sci. Am. (October 1989) 74.
demonstrated recently by D.M. Eigler and E.K. [3] A. Lang, H. Strecker und F. Ertingshausen, TM 56 (1989)
Schweizer at the IBM Almaden Research Center. 154.
They deposited xenon atoms on a nickel substrate [4] H. Strecker. C. Stahl and H. Starke. J. Vat. Sci. Technol. A
at low temperatures and manipulated them with 8 (1990) 618.
[5] G. Persch, H. Engelmann und A. Strack, Verhandl. DPG
the STM to a logo as seen in fig. 6.
(VI) 25. 08.8 (1990).

6. Conclusion

The STM history started in 1982 with the spec-

tacular images of single atoms. Within less than a
decade the STM has left the pure research field
and can now also be considered as an analysis tool