Focused electron-beam-induced deposition for fabrication of highly durable and sensitive metallic AFM-IR probes

Wen Qian, Shuo Sun, Jingfeng Song, Charles Nguyen, Stephen Ducharme, Joseph A. Turner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report on the fabrication of metallic, ultra-sharp atomic force microscope tips for localized nanoscale infrared (IR) spectrum measurements by using focused electron-beam-induced deposition of platinum or tungsten. The tip length can be controlled by changing the duration time of the electron beam. Probes of 12.0 ±5.0 nm radius-of-curvature can be routinely produced with high repeatability and near-100% yield. The near-field-enhancement appears stronger at the extremity of the metallic tip, compared with commercial pristine silicon-nitride probe tip. Finally, the performance of the modified metallic tips is demonstrated by imaging PVDF and PMMA thin films, which shows that spatial resolution is greatly enhanced. In addition, the signal intensity of the localized nanoscale IR spectrum is increased offering greater sensitivity for chemical IR imaging.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number335702
JournalNanotechnology
Volume29
Issue number33
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 8 2018

Keywords

  • AFM
  • chemical Mapping
  • electron-beam-induced deposition
  • localized infrared spectrum
  • metallic probe tip

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Bioengineering
  • Chemistry(all)
  • Materials Science(all)
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Focused electron-beam-induced deposition for fabrication of highly durable and sensitive metallic AFM-IR probes'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this