In atomic force microscopy (AFM), knowledge of the probe (tip) geometry is a critical factor for obtaining reproducible images. This is particularly important for measurements in the contact mode, in which a certain amount of wear of the probe always occurs affecting the image quality of small, flat and/or larger surface structures. In addition to probe geometry, the slope of the probe with respect to the sample is of importance. In this work, probe geometry is determined by the use of structured foils obtained using focused ion beam (FIB). In this manner, we demonstrate the possibility of determining the AFM probe geometry and the slope on the basis of differently-sized structures. An established algorithm was implemented for the reconstruction of the probes. The shape of FIB structured foils was determined separately by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Positioning on the nanometer scale with replaceable nanotools requires well defined positioning marks to restore the coordinate system with nanoscale accuracy. In this work we propose such patterns (references, markers) consisting of self-organized surfaces and hierarchic patterns written by the focus ion beam (FIB) technique. These patterns are realized either by a deposition of platinum or by cuts with different width, length, height and/or depth. The hierarchic patterns allow the use of automatic search routines for the recovery of the coordinate system on a sample surface. These patterns contain relative large markers for optical detection and are refined down to the nanoscale level. Finally, mesoscopic, self-organized features within these FIB written patterns enables an accurate positioning of the probe on the sample with nanoscale accuracy.