title: Towards better scanning near-field optical microscopy probes--progress and new developments.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Basel, Switzerland. heinzelmann@urz.unibas.ch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heinzelmann
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Freyland
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schürmann
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Noell
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Staufer
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: De Rooij