Field induced local oxidation of Ti and Ti/Au structures by an atomic force microscope with diamond coated tips

We have investigated field induced local oxidation of thin Ti films with the tip of an atomic force microscope. Tips, which have been coated with a diamond layer to improve their wear resistance, are shown to have a much longer lifetime than conventional uncoated Si tips. We have studied the oxidation characteristics as a function of the applied tip-sample voltage and scanning speed for both diamond coated and uncoated tips. We find that the diamond coated tips result in a thinner oxide layer for the same voltage and scanning speed. The dependence of the oxidation process on the film thickness was studied for diamond coated tips. Thin films can be completely transformed into an oxide layer for a thickness up to 15 nm. Moreover, for these sufficiently thin films the measured ratio between the oxide height and the Ti film thickness is a constant. It is also possible to completely oxidize Ti films which cover Au islands, opening the way to fabricate more complicated structures. (C) 1999 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(99)03006-1].