METHOD OF MAKING STEPPED ELEVATION CALIBRATION STANDARD FOR PROFILOMETRY AND SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC G01B7/34 

FIELD: physics.

SUBSTANCE: in the method of making stepped elevation calibration standard for profilometry and scanning probe microscopy, a semiconductor silicon plate with a vicinal surface is placed in a vacuum, thermo-electric annealing process is carried out, passing direct current through the plate with a value which induces resistance heating to temperature of activated sublimation of atoms of the top layer with movement of monoatomic steps on the surface. Current is passed in parallel to the vicinal surface between the top and bottom terraces, from the bottom terrace to the top or a combination of both directions, first from the top terrace to the bottom, and then from the bottom terrace to the top. A region is formed on the surface of the plate with high density of steps and uniformly distributed single steps, separated by terraces, appear on the surface.

EFFECT: more accurate determination of elevation of topographic features and reduced errors of measurements.

10 cl, 5 dwg, 12 ex