title: Integrating an ultramicroelectrode in an AFM cantilever: combined technology for enhanced information.
abstract: We present a novel approach to develop and process a microelectrode integrated in a standard AFM tip. The presented fabrication process allows the integration of an electroactive area at an exactly defined distance above of the end of a scanning probe tip and the subsequent remodeling and sharpening of the original AFM tip using a focused ion beam (FIB) technique (See ref 1 for patent information). Thus, the functionality of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) can be integrated into any standard atomic force microscope (AFM). With the demonstrated approach, a precisely defined and constant distance between the microelectrode and the sample surface can be obtained, alternatively to the indirect determination of this distance usually applied in SECM experiments. Hence, a complete separation of the topographical information and the electrochemical signal is possible. The presented technique is a significant step toward electrochemical imaging with submicrometer electrodes as demonstrated by the development of the first integrated frame submicroelectrode.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Analytical Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology, Wien, Austria. christine.kranz@chemistry.gatech.edu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kranz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Friedbacher
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mizaikoff
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lugstein
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smoliner
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertagnolli