Using Shattered Silicon As Resonant Probe Tips

Shattered silicon wafers can produce shards of silicon that terminate in sharp tips suitable for AFM use. The simplicity and low cost of this method makes it a viable alternative to using etched tungsten tips. The SPM Etch Kit can be used to attach shard of silicon to the tuning fork to produce a tuning fork tip. This application note assumes that the SPM etch kit is assembled and ready for use.