Towards better scanning near-field optical microscopy probes--progress and new developments.
Several approaches are described with the aim of producing near-field optical probes with improved properties. Focused ion beam milling allows the fabrication of small apertures in a controlled fashion, resulting in probes with excellent polarization properties and increased transmission. Microfabrication processes are described that allow the production of apertures of 30-50 nm, facilitating the mass-fabrication of apertured tip structures that can be used in a combined force/near-field optical microscope. Finally, possible future developments are outlined.
Heinzelmann
H
H
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Basel, Switzerland. heinzelmann@urz.unibas.ch
Freyland
J M
JM
Eckert
R
R
Huser
T
T
Schürmann
G
G
Noell
W
W
Staufer
U
U
De Rooij
N F
NF