Fabrication of grating-like polystyrene latex monolayer structure as three-dimensional calibration standards for scanning probe microscope

This paper illuminates the preparation of grating-like polystyrenelatex monolayer structure, which can minimize the effects of thesize deviation of spheres and the defect transfer on the accuracy ascalibration samples for microscopes. The latex films are grown onfreshly cleaved mica substrates by vertical deposition method. Theconcentration dependence of the structure and the topography oflatex films is characterized by optical microscope,ultraviolet--visible transmission spectrum and scanning probemicroscope. The origination of such a grating-like structure is alsodiscussed.