title: High resolution capabilities of all-silica cantilevered probes for near-field optical microscopy.
abstract: We report on the possibility of performing Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy in illumination mode by means of microfabricated, metal-coated silica probes based on transparent cantilevers. A low spring constant silica cantilever hosts a silica tip at its end showing an hyperbolic profile and a circular symmetry. After evaporation of 100 nm of aluminium on the tip and the cantilever we processed the tip apex by means of a FIB, thus obtaining either a probe apex with an optical aperture or an apertureless probe having a thin metal layer on the top. An excellent quality of near-field images of samples showing sub-wavelength features is obtained in both case. In particular, the apertureless probe allows highly resolved topographical and optical images to be collected at the same time. This work further demonstrates that the use of completely transparent, metal-coated cantilevers greatly simplify the light injection into the probe and the fabrication process consequently.
authors.affiliation: Materials and Microsystems Laboratory-xLab, Politecnico di Torino, C. so Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Descrovi
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aeschimann
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Soboleva
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giorgis
authors.forename: Enzo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Di Fabrizio
mesh_terms: D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020527:Microscopy, Scanning Probe / Q000295:instrumentation*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D012822:Silicon Dioxide