title: Characterization and fabrication of fully metal-coated scanning near-field optical microscopy SiO2 tips.
abstract: The fabrication of silicon cantilever-based scanning near-field optical microscope probes with fully aluminium-coated quartz tips was optimized to increase production yield. Different cantilever designs for dynamic- and contact-mode force feedback were implemented. Light transmission through the tips was investigated experimentally in terms of the metal coating and the tip cone-angle. We found that transmittance varies with the skin depth of the metal coating and is inverse to the cone angle, meaning that slender tips showed higher transmission. Near-field optical images of individual fluorescing molecules showed a resolution < 100 nm. Scanning electron microscopy images of tips before and after scanning near-field optical microscope imaging, and transmission electron microscopy analysis of tips before and after illumination, together with measurements performed with a miniaturized thermocouple showed no evidence of mechanical defect or orifice formation by thermal effects.
authors.affiliation: University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Microtechnology, Jaquet-Droz 1, 2007 Neuchâtel, Switzerland. laure.aeschimann@unine.ch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aeschimann
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akiyama
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Staufer
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: De Rooij
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thiery
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eckert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Heinzelmann
mesh_terms: D000535:Aluminum / Q000737:chemistry; D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry; D004867:Equipment Design; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007495:Iridium / Q000737:chemistry; D007840:Latex / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D020527:Microscopy, Scanning Probe / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007840:Latex; D008670:Metals; D002857:Chromium; D007495:Iridium; D006046:Gold; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D000535:Aluminum