Pacific Nanotechnology Inc.

Guide to AFM standards and references

Z Calibration

A calibration standards/references are needed to calibrate SPM in the vertical axis. For calibrations greater than 10 nm step height standard or references are typically fabricated by etching patterns in a quartz substrate. Another source for references is etched silicon, or silicon dioxide coated with a uniform layer of metal. When calibrating the instrument for Z height measurements below 10 nm, nano-spheres, atomic terraces of silicon or HOPG may be used as a reference specimen.

Company	Standard/Reference
VLSI Standards	StandardsZ = 18nm, 44nm, 100nm, 180nm Pitch = 1.8µm, 3µm, 5µm, 10µm, 20µmReferences:Z = 18nm, 44nm, 100nm, 180nm Pitch = 3µm, 10µm
MicroMasch	Z = 20÷25nm, 90÷104nm, 496÷503nm, 1000nm, 15000nm Pitch = 3µm, 10µm HOPG all grades
SPI Supplies	Pitch = 300nm, 700nm Z ~100nm
Ted Pella	Pitch = 0.463µm Z ~31nm
PacificNanotechnology	Pitch = 20µm, 10µm, 5µm, 3µm Z ~75nm
Electron Microscopy Science	Pitch = 150nm, 300nm, 700nm Z ~100nm
NTT-AT	AtomicStep = 3.1nm

Figure 1: This AFM image is of a single etched pattern of an AFM standard. The histogram at the right show the height of the feature is 16.62 nm.