Single crystal diamond probe cantilever for high speed atomic force microscope and processing thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a monocrystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope and a processing method of the monocrystal diamond probe cantilever. The processing method comprises the following steps: obtaining a monocrystal diamond film with a specified thickness; laser is aligned with the side face of the film, the film is cut along the bottom edge of one end of the film in the mode that the laser and the surface of the film form a set angle, and a single crystal diamond film with one end provided with a bevel angle of the set angle is obtained; laser cutting is conducted on the end portion, where the oblique angle is located, of the single crystal diamond film from one side of the flat surface of the single crystal diamond film with the oblique angle so that a pre-pattern of the cantilever can be cut; and performing fine nanometer processing on the cantilever by using a focused ion beam to obtain the single crystal diamond probe cantilever with a target size. According to the scheme, manufacturing of the ultrathin single crystal diamond integrated cantilever is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of atomic force microscope detection and nanoscale measurement, and particularly relates to a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope and a processing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the progress of atomic force microscope technology, the ability of a high-speed atomic force microscope (High-Speed AFM) to achieve fast and high-resolution imaging at the nanoscale has become an important research tool in the fields of materials science, biology, semiconductors, etc. However, there are still many limitations in the material properties and dynamic characteristics of existing high-speed probes. Taking the ultra-thin quartz cantilever probe represented by Nanoworld company as an example, although it shows certain performance advantages in high-speed atomic force microscopes, its material characteristics still have obvious limitations. The elastic modulus and density of the quartz-like material limit its performance in high-frequency scanning, resulting in a lower natural frequency of the cantilever and making it difficult to support higher scanning speed requirements.

[0003] Single-crystal diamond has become an ideal material to break through the existing technical limitations due to its extremely high hardness (Mohs hardness 10), elastic modulus (about 1050 GPa), low density (about 3.5 g / cm 3 ), excellent thermal conductivity (about 2320 W / (m·K)), chemical inertness, and good biocompatibility. The high hardness and wear resistance of single-crystal diamond significantly extend the service life of the probe, the excellent elastic modulus and rigidity improve the imaging resolution, while the low density and high natural frequency support faster scanning speeds. However, the processing of single-crystal diamond ultra-thin high-speed probe cantilevers faces huge challenges. As recorded in the reference [Tao Y, Degen C. Facile Fabrication of Single-Crystal-Diamond Nanostructures with Ultrahigh Aspect Ratio[J]. Advanced Materials, 2013, 25(29): 3962 - 3967], different from silicon-based materials, the processing of an integrated cantilever structure based on a single-crystal diamond film involves complex micro-nano processing processes. Focused Ion Beam (FIB) is a processing technology that can achieve the fabrication of nano-scale ultra-thin single-crystal diamond structures. However, due to the inherent limitations of the equipment, the processing efficiency for larger areas and thicker structures is low, and lattice damage is easily caused. Existing technologies are difficult to achieve simple, efficient, low-cost, and high-quality fabrication of an integrated single-crystal diamond probe cantilever.

[0004] Therefore, a new technical solution is required to achieve simple, efficient, repeatable, low-cost, and high-quality manufacturing of an integrated single-crystal diamond probe cantilever, and to solve the huge technical problems faced in the manufacturing of an ultra-thin integrated single-crystal diamond probe cantilever. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the technical problems faced in the processing of single-crystal diamond ultra-thin and high-speed probe cantilevers in the related art, the present invention provides a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope and a processing method thereof that overcome or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to realize the manufacturing of an ultra-thin integrated single-crystal diamond cantilever.

[0007] A further object of the present invention is to improve the processing quality of the single-crystal diamond cantilever and achieve simple, efficient, repeatable, and low-cost manufacturing. The single-crystal diamond cantilever processed by the provided method has the obvious advantages of adjustable thickness, no need for additional polishing and cleaning treatment after processing, and an integrated structure compatible with various commercial scanning atomic force microscopes.

[0008] In particular, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a processing method for a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope, including:

[0009] Obtaining a single-crystal diamond thin film with a specified thickness;

[0010] Aligning a laser with the side surface of the thin film and cutting the thin film along the bottom edge of one end of the thin film at an angle between the laser and the surface of the thin film to obtain a single-crystal diamond thin film with a bevel angle at one end;

[0011] Performing laser cutting on the end of the single-crystal diamond thin film where the bevel angle is located from the flat surface side of the single-crystal diamond thin film with the bevel angle to cut out a pre-pattern of the cantilever;

[0012] Performing fine nano-processing on the cantilever using a focused ion beam to obtain a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever with a target size.

[0013] Optionally, the set angle is in the range of 5° to 20°.

[0014] Optionally, the specified thickness is in the range of 30μm to 70μm;

[0015] The target thickness of the cantilever is in the range of 50nm to 250nm.

[0016] Optionally, the step of obtaining a single-crystal diamond thin film with a specified thickness includes:

[0017] Double-sided mechanical fine polishing is performed on the bulk single-crystal diamond;

[0018] The bulk single-crystal diamond is laser cut, and the cut surface is mechanically polished to obtain the single-crystal diamond thin film with a specified thickness.

[0019] Optionally, the step of obtaining the single-crystal diamond thin film with a specified thickness further includes:

[0020] The single-crystal diamond thin film is acid-boiled with an acid solution to remove impurities on the surface of the single-crystal diamond thin film;

[0021] Wherein, the acid solution is a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid, and the volume ratio of concentrated sulfuric acid to concentrated nitric acid is 3:1;

[0022] The temperature of the acid-boiling is 180 - 220 °C.

[0023] Optionally, the step of obtaining the single-crystal diamond probe cantilever with a target size by performing fine nano-processing on the cantilever using a focused ion beam includes:

[0024] The single-crystal diamond thin film with a pre-patterned cantilever is fixed to the edge of the silicon wafer in a manner that makes the cantilever suspended;

[0025] The cantilever is subjected to multiple fine nano-processings using ion beams with decreasing energies in sequence.

[0026] Optionally, the step of subjecting the cantilever to multiple fine nano-processings using ion beams with decreasing energies in sequence includes:

[0027] The cantilever is rough-processed using an ion beam with a first energy;

[0028] The cantilever is finish-processed using an ion beam with a second energy; and

[0029] The cantilever is de-amorphized using an ion beam with a third energy to remove the amorphous part on the surface of the cantilever, wherein the second energy is lower than the first energy and higher than the third energy.

[0030] Optionally, the first energy is in the range of 20 kV to 30 kV;

[0031] The second energy is in the range of 10 kV to 20 kV;

[0032] The third energy is in the range of 3 kV to 5 kV.

[0033] Optionally, after performing fine nano-processing on the cantilever using a focused ion beam, the processing method further includes:

[0034] The single crystal diamond film is annealed in a vacuum environment.

[0035] Optionally, the step of annealing the single crystal diamond film in a vacuum environment comprises:

[0036] Fixing the single crystal diamond film in a slotted high temperature resistant mold;

[0037] The mold is sealed with high vacuum by using vacuum glass tube sealing technology;

[0038] The single crystal diamond film is annealed at an annealing temperature higher than 900°C.

[0039] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope, which is manufactured by the aforementioned processing method.

[0040] The present invention provides a method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope. The method firstly uses a laser to perform angle cutting on a single crystal diamond film of a specified thickness to obtain a single crystal diamond film with an oblique angle at one end. Then, laser cutting is performed again from the direction where the oblique angle is located to form a cantilever pre-pattern. Then, focused ion beam technology is used to complete fine nano-machining of the cantilever, and finally an integrated single crystal diamond ultra-thin cantilever of a required size is obtained.

[0041] Furthermore, by laser cutting and polishing the polished bulk single crystal diamond, a single crystal diamond film of a specified thickness is obtained, thereby broadening the source of single crystal diamond films for processing.

[0042] Furthermore, by performing bevel laser cutting and cantilever pre-pattern cutting on the polished bulk single crystal diamond to obtain a single crystal diamond film with a specified bevel angle and a cantilever pre-pattern, the area and depth of subsequent focused ion beam nano-machining are greatly reduced, the processing efficiency is greatly improved, and the processing cost is reduced.

[0043] Furthermore, in the process of nano-machining the cantilever using a focused ion beam, multiple fine nano-machining of the cantilever is performed using an ion beam with decreasing energy, thereby avoiding lattice damage caused by the focused ion beam as much as possible, thereby improving the processing quality of the single crystal diamond cantilever.

[0044] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are listed below.

[0045] Those skilled in the art will better understand the above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] By reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, various other advantages and benefits will become clear to those of ordinary skill in the art. The drawings are only for the purpose of showing the preferred embodiments and are not considered to be a limitation of the present invention. Moreover, throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components. In the drawings:

[0047] Figure 1 shows a schematic flow chart of a method for fabricating a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 2 shows a schematic flow chart of a method for fabricating a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figures 3a to 3e is a schematic diagram of the processing flow of a single-crystal diamond high-speed probe cantilever according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 4a and Figure 4b are a top view and a side view of an electron microscope of a single-crystal diamond thin film with a 10-degree cutting angle processed according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 5a and Figure 5b are a top view and a side view of an electron microscope of a cantilever structure before focused ion beam processing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 6 is a side view of an electron microscope of a cantilever structure after focused ion beam processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments set forth herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure can be more thoroughly understood and the scope of the present disclosure can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0054] According to the current research status, in order to solve the technical problems faced in the processing of single-crystal diamond ultra-thin high-speed probe cantilevers in the related art, embodiments of the present invention propose a method for fabricating a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope.

[0055] Figure 1 The flowchart shows a processing method for a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. Refer to Figure 1 As shown, the processing method may at least include the following steps S102 to S108.

[0056] Step S102: Obtain a single-crystal diamond film with a specified thickness;

[0057] Step S104: Align the laser with the side surface of the film, and cut the film along the bottom edge of one end of the film at a set angle between the laser and the surface of the film to obtain a single-crystal diamond film with a bevel angle at one end;

[0058] Step S106: Laser cut the end of the single-crystal diamond film where the bevel angle is located from the flat surface side of the single-crystal diamond film with a bevel angle to cut out a pre-pattern of the cantilever;

[0059] Step S108: Use a focused ion beam to perform fine nanomachining on the cantilever to obtain a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever with a target size.

[0060] The processing method for the single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for the high-speed atomic force microscope provided in this embodiment first uses a laser to perform angular cutting on a single-crystal diamond film with a specified thickness to obtain a single-crystal diamond film with a bevel angle at one end, then laser cuts again from the direction where the bevel angle is located to form a cantilever pre-pattern, and then uses a focused ion beam technology to complete the fine nanomachining of the cantilever, and finally manufactures a single-crystal diamond ultra-thin cantilever with the required size, thereby realizing the manufacture of an ultra-thin single-crystal diamond integrated cantilever.

[0061] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the specified thickness of the single-crystal diamond film may be in the range of 30 μm to 70 μm, for example, 40 μm, 45 μm, 50 μm, 55 μm, 60 μm, 65 μm, etc. By selecting a single-crystal diamond film with an appropriate thickness as the base film for subsequent processing, it is possible to facilitate subsequent thinning processing while ensuring that the film is not easily broken.

[0062] The length and width dimensions of the single-crystal diamond film can be selected according to actual needs. In some embodiments, the length and width dimensions of the single-crystal diamond film are in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm, for example, 1.5 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm, etc.

[0063] In order to ensure the quality of the finally manufactured probe cantilever as much as possible, it is preferable to select a single-crystal diamond film with a clean surface and double-sided fine polishing. Optionally, the surface roughness Ra of the single-crystal diamond film is <1 nm, for example, Ra is 0.8 nm.

[0064] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the set angle of laser cutting in step S104 can be set within the range of 5° to 20°, for example, 5°, 8°, 10°, 12°, 15°, 18°, 20°, etc.

[0065] Through a large number of experiments, the inventors found and confirmed that setting the laser cutting angle within the range of 5° to 20° is particularly beneficial for the pre-patterning and thinning processing of the all-diamond ultra-thin cantilever.

[0066] Those skilled in the art should recognize that the bevel angle formed after angular cutting of the single-crystal diamond film can also be referred to as the grazing angle.

[0067] In step S106, laser cutting is performed from one side of the flat surface of the single-crystal diamond film. Those skilled in the art should understand that this flat surface side is opposite to the other side where the hypotenuse of the bevel angle is located.

[0068] In some embodiments, in step S106, the single-crystal diamond film can be horizontally fixed with its flat surface (i.e., the uncut polished surface) facing upward, and then laser cutting processing is performed from top to bottom to cut out the pre-pattern of the cantilever in the direction from the vertex of the bevel angle towards the inside of the single-crystal diamond film. The design of the pattern is determined according to the size of the cantilever.

[0069] After the focused ion beam nanofabrication in step S108, a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever with the target size can be obtained. In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, the target thickness of the processed cantilever can be within the range of 50 nm to 250 nm, for example, 60 nm, 80 nm, 90 nm, 100 nm, 120 nm, 140 nm, 150 nm, 160 nm, 180 nm, 200 nm, 220 nm, 240 nm, etc. The specific setting can be determined according to actual requirements.

[0070] Figure 2 A flowchart showing a method for fabricating a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0071] See Figure 2 As shown, in some alternative embodiments of the present invention, step S102 can specifically include:

[0072] Step S1021: Perform double-sided mechanical fine polishing on the bulk single-crystal diamond.

[0073] Optionally, it can be polished to a surface roughness Ra < 1 nm of the bulk single-crystal diamond.

[0074] Step S1022: Perform laser cutting on the bulk single-crystal diamond and perform mechanical polishing on the cutting surface to obtain a single-crystal diamond film with a specified thickness.

[0075] In this embodiment, a bulk single-crystal diamond finished by double-sided polishing is used as the substrate, and a single-crystal diamond film with a specified thickness is cut, thinned and mechanically polished by using laser cutting technology, which broadens the source of single-crystal diamond films for processing.

[0076] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , in some alternative embodiments of the present invention, step S102 may further include:

[0077] Step S1023: Acid-boiling the single-crystal diamond film with an acid solution to remove impurities on the surface of the single-crystal diamond film.

[0078] Specifically, the impurities may be, for example, organic pollutants, metals, etc. on the surface of the single-crystal diamond film. Through acid-boiling cleaning, a clean and double-sided precision-polished single-crystal diamond film with a specified thickness is obtained.

[0079] In some embodiments, the acid solution may be a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid.

[0080] Optionally, the volume ratio of concentrated sulfuric acid to concentrated nitric acid is 3:1.

[0081] The concentrated sulfuric acid may be the commonly used concentrated sulfuric acid with a mass fraction of 98%. The concentrated nitric acid may be the commonly used concentrated nitric acid with a mass fraction of about 65%.

[0082] The temperature of acid-boiling can be controlled at 180-220 °C.

[0083] In some alternative embodiments of the present invention, step S108 may specifically include:

[0084] Fixing the pre-patterned single-crystal diamond film with a cantilever cut out in a manner that the cantilever is suspended to the edge of the silicon wafer;

[0085] Successively performing multiple fine nano-processings on the cantilever with ion beams of decreasing energy.

[0086] Specifically, the pre-patterned single-crystal diamond film with a cantilever cut out can be pasted to the edge of the silicon wafer by using hot melt adhesive.

[0087] In this embodiment, during the process of nano-processing the cantilever by using a focused ion beam, multiple fine nano-processings are performed on the cantilever with ion beams of decreasing energy, thereby improving the processing quality of the single-crystal diamond cantilever.

[0088] In some further embodiments, the step of successively performing multiple fine nano-processings on the cantilever with ion beams of decreasing energy may specifically include:

[0089] First, a cantilever is rough machined using an ion beam with a first energy (which may be referred to as a higher-energy ion beam); then, the cantilever is finish machined using an ion beam with a second energy (which may be referred to as a medium-energy ion beam); finally, the cantilever is de-amorphized using an ion beam with a third energy (which may be referred to as a low-energy ion beam) to remove the amorphous part on the surface of the cantilever, where the second energy is lower than the first energy and higher than the third energy.

[0090] In some specific embodiments, the first energy can be in the range of 20 kV to 30 kV, such as 20 kV, 25 kV, 30 kV, etc. The second energy can be in the range of 10 kV to 20 kV, such as 12 kV, 15 kV, 18 kV, etc. The third energy can be in the range of 3 kV to 5 kV, such as 3 kV, 4 kV, 5 kV, etc.

[0091] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , in some alternative embodiments of the present invention, after step S108, the processing method may further include step S110:

[0092] Annealing the single-crystal diamond film in a vacuum environment.

[0093] In some specific embodiments, the step of annealing the single-crystal diamond film in a vacuum environment specifically includes:

[0094] High-vacuum sealing the single-crystal diamond film through a vacuum glass encapsulation technique, and then performing annealing treatment.

[0095] In a specific embodiment, the single-crystal diamond film completed by focused ion beam machining can be fixed in a slotted high-temperature-resistant mold (such as a ceramic mold), and the mold is high-vacuum sealed using the vacuum glass encapsulation technique.

[0096] The annealing treatment can be carried out in a high-temperature annealing furnace. The annealing temperature is higher than 900 °C. For example, the annealing temperature can be in the range of 900 °C to 2000 °C, or in the range of 1000 °C to 1500 °C, or in the range of 1100 °C to 1400 °C, or in the range of 1200 °C to 1300 °C.

[0097] Figures 3a to 3e is a schematic diagram of the processing flow of a single-crystal diamond high-speed probe cantilever in a specific embodiment of the present invention. The following combines Figures 3a to 3e , and through a specific embodiment, the processing method of the single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope of the present invention is specifically described.

[0098] Figure 3a and Figure 3bThe process of double-sided mechanical fine polishing and laser cutting of bulk single-crystal diamond is shown. The surface roughness requirement of the polished diamond is Ra < 1 nm, and the bulk single-crystal diamond with double-sided polishing is obtained. Using the bulk single-crystal diamond with double-sided polishing as the substrate, a single-crystal diamond film with a thickness T = 50 μm, a width W 1 = 3 mm, and a length L 1 = 3 mm is cut and thinned by laser cutting technology and mechanically polished. After polishing, it is heated and boiled with a mixed solution of concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid (volume ratio 3:1) (200 °C). The mass fraction of the concentrated sulfuric acid used is 98%, and the mass fraction of the concentrated nitric acid is 65% until all the pollutants and impurities such as metals on the surface of the diamond film are completely removed, and a clean and double-sided fine-polished single-crystal diamond film with a thickness T = 50 μm, a width W 1 = 3 mm, and a length L 1 = 3 mm is obtained.

[0099] Figure 3c The shown process is as follows: Mechanically fix the thinned and cut single-crystal diamond film, align the laser with the side of the film, and cut along an angle of about 10 degrees with the bottom edge to obtain a single-crystal diamond film with a 10-degree grazing angle α at one end. As Figure 3c shown, the width W of the overall single-crystal diamond film 2 = 3 mm, the length L 2 = 3 mm, and L 3 = 2.42 mm.

[0100] Figure 3d The shown process is as follows: Mechanically fix the angle-cut single-crystal diamond film, and use laser cutting processing from top to bottom, with the polished surface of the single-crystal diamond film facing up. Then, cut out the pre-pattern of the cantilever from the direction of the grazing angle. The pattern design is determined according to the size of the cantilever. The size of the cantilever pre-pattern on the angle-cut surface of the single-crystal diamond is W 3 = 5 μm, and the length L 4 = 10 μm.

[0101] Figure 3e The shown process is as follows: Finally, use hot melt adhesive to paste the cut single-crystal diamond film onto the edge of the window silicon wafer, making the cantilever part suspended, and use focused ion beam technology for fine nano-processing of the cantilever. The processing process is divided into three parts. First, use a higher-energy ion beam (30 kV) for rough processing to obtain the approximate pattern of the cantilever; secondly, use a medium-energy ion beam (15 kV) for fine processing of the cantilever pattern to obtain a more refined cantilever pattern and thin the thickness of the cantilever; finally, use a low-energy ion beam (5 kV) for amorphous removal processing to remove most of the amorphous part on the surface of the diamond cantilever. Finally, an ultra-thin cantilever with the designed size is obtained. The pattern size W of the cantilever 4= 2μm, length L 5 = 7μm, and the thickness is 200 nm. Further thinning can obtain a thinner cantilever thickness (<100 nm).

[0102] Figure 4a and Figure 4b are the top view and side view of a single-crystal diamond thin film with a 10-degree cutting angle processed in an embodiment of the present invention. Among them, Figure 4a is the top view of a single-crystal diamond thin film with a 10-degree cutting angle processed in an embodiment of the present invention. Its size can be adjusted according to the precision of laser processing. The overall material and the cantilever part are all integrated single-crystal diamond, and the scale is 200 μm; Figure 4b is the side view of a single-crystal diamond thin film with a 10-degree cutting angle processed in an embodiment of the present invention. Its cutting slope angle is about 9.6 degrees, and the scale is 100 μm.

[0103] Figure 5a and Figure 5b are the top view and side view of the cantilever structure processed in an embodiment of the present invention before focused ion beam processing. Among them, Figure 5a is the top view of the cantilever structure processed in an embodiment of the present invention before focused ion beam thinning, and the scale is 100 μm; Figure 5b is the side view of the cantilever structure processed in an embodiment of the present invention before focused ion beam thinning, and the scale is 50 μm.

[0104] Figure 6 is the side view of the cantilever structure processed in an embodiment of the present invention after focused ion beam processing, and the scale is 5 μm. It can be seen from Figure 6 that the thickness of the cantilever reaches about the designed 200 nm. By further thinning, a thinner cantilever thickness (<100 nm) can be obtained.

[0105] Based on the same technical concept, an embodiment of the present invention also provides a single-crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope, which is an integrated all-single-crystal diamond cantilever and is prepared by the processing method described in any of the foregoing embodiments or a combination of embodiments.

[0106] The single-crystal diamond probe cantilever prepared by the present invention can be widely used in the field of precision detection. By means of scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam technology, a nano-tip can be deposited on the cantilever, and then high-frequency semiconductor manufacturing defect detection can be realized, supporting the development of nano-scale chip processes; and in the field of biological science, dynamic tracking of living molecules can be realized, taking into account nano-resolution and biocompatibility, and high-speed dynamic scanning imaging can be realized; at the same time, quantum sensor devices can be integrated to meet the high-precision magnetic and force signal measurement requirements in extreme environments.

[0107] In the specification provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it will be understood that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure an understanding of the present specification.

[0108] Having thus described the invention in detail, those skilled in the art will recognize that, although numerous exemplary embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, many other variations or modifications consistent with the principles of the invention may be directly determined or derived from the disclosure of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be understood and deemed to cover all such other variations or modifications.

Claims

1. A method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope, comprising: Obtain a single crystal diamond film of specified thickness; Aim the laser at the side of the film, and cut the film along the bottom edge of one end of the film in a manner that the laser forms a set angle with the surface of the film, to obtain a single crystal diamond film having a bevel angle of the set angle at one end; Laser cutting the end of the single crystal diamond film where the bevel is located from the flat surface side of the single crystal diamond film having the bevel to cut out a pre-pattern of the cantilever; The cantilever is finely nano-processed using a focused ion beam to obtain a single crystal diamond probe cantilever of a target size.

2. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to claim 1, wherein: The setting angle is in the range of 5° to 20°.

3. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to claim 1, wherein: The specified thickness is in the range of 30 μm to 70 μm; The target thickness of the cantilever is in the range of 50 nm to 250 nm.

4. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to claim 1, wherein: The steps of obtaining a single crystal diamond film of a specified thickness include: Double-sided mechanical fine polishing of bulk single crystal diamond; The bulk single crystal diamond is laser cut, and the cut surface is mechanically polished to obtain the single crystal diamond film of a specified thickness.

5. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to claim 4, wherein: The step of obtaining a single crystal diamond film of a specified thickness also includes: Using acid to boil the single crystal diamond film to remove impurities on the surface of the single crystal diamond film; The acid solution is a mixture of concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid, and the volume ratio of concentrated sulfuric acid to concentrated nitric acid is 3:1; The temperature of the acid cooking is 180-220°C.

6. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to claim 1, wherein: The step of using a focused ion beam to perform fine nano-machining on the cantilever to obtain a single crystal diamond probe cantilever of a target size comprises: Fixing the single crystal diamond film with the pre-pattern of the cantilever cut out to the edge of the silicon wafer in such a way that the cantilever is suspended in the air; The cantilever is subjected to multiple fine nano-machining operations using ion beams with decreasing energies in sequence.

7. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to claim 6, wherein: The step of sequentially using ion beams with decreasing energies to perform multiple fine nano-machining on the cantilever comprises: Rough processing of the cantilever is performed using an ion beam with a first energy; Using an ion beam with a second energy to perform fine machining on the cantilever; and Using an ion beam with a third energy to perform amorphization processing on the cantilever to remove an amorphous portion of the cantilever surface, wherein the second energy is lower than the first energy and higher than the third energy; Optionally, the first energy is in the range of 20 kV to 30 kV; The second energy is in the range of 10 kV to 20 kV; The third energy is in the range of 3 kV to 5 kV.

8. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: After fine nano-machining the cantilever using a focused ion beam, the processing method further comprises: The single crystal diamond film is annealed in a vacuum environment.

9. The method for processing a single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope according to claim 8, wherein: The step of annealing the single crystal diamond film in a vacuum environment comprises: Fixing the single crystal diamond film in a slotted high temperature resistant mold; The mold is sealed with high vacuum by using vacuum glass tube sealing technology; The single crystal diamond film is annealed at an annealing temperature higher than 900°C.

10. A single crystal diamond probe cantilever for a high-speed atomic force microscope, which is prepared by the processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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