Multilayer microcantilever heater-thermometer with improved thermal resistance for nanotopography measurements

This paper reports the design, fabrication, and testing of a multilayer cantilever structure having a doped silicon heater-thermometer separated from the silicon cantilever legs by a thermally insulating silicon nitride layer. The multilayer microcantilever can be heated above 600°C. Highly sensitive thermal topography measurements were successfully demonstrated on a 20 nm tall silicon grating. The thermal topography results agree well with the conventional laser deflection measurements. We achieved a thermal topography reading sensitivity of 1.3 × 10^-4 nm^-1 and a thermal topography resolution of 6.9 pm/¿Hz. This compares well to published data on other types of cantilevers.