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 polystyrene latex monolayer structure, which can minimize the effects of the size deviation of spheres and the defect transfer on the accuracy as calibration samples for microscopes. The latex films are grown on freshly cleaved mica substrates by vertical deposition method. The concentration dependence of the structure and the topography of latex films is characterized by optical microscope, ultraviolet--visible transmission spectrum and scanning probe microscope. The origination of such a grating-like structure is also discussed.