Imaging and measurements of semiconductor structures with critical dimensions is another challenging application for AFM. The image in Figure 3 shows a 3D view of the features, which are 30 nm in width and 100 nm in height.

The parameters are evaluated correctly when regular probes are used. However, the edges of the lines presented in the images are affected by a convolution of the tip shape. In other words, the shape of the tip limits the accuracy of the measured shape of the sample features. The problem of the tip-shape convolution becomes even more severe with increases in height and decreases in spacing between features. The use of probes with small opening angles (such as FIB-made probes) is required in such cases.

The GP probes can provide an improvement in accuracy from the NSC/CSC probes. For further accuracy, HI'RES-W probes can also be used. Very great care must be taken when using the HI'RES-W probes on such samples, as damage to the tip is easily incurred. When using Hi'RES-W, "light tapping" conditions are preferable, which implies low resonance amplitude (start at 0.2V up to 1.2V) and a set point ratio of about 0.9 to 1. Scan rate should start at below 1 Hz. Scan size should start out at 50 nm (250 nm maximum). It is also important, in general, when imaging samples with a large span in the vertical dimension to use large gains. See high resolution imaging for details.