In situ metal tip sharpening of scanning probe microscopes.

This article demonstrated a new approach for fabrication and sharpening of metal tips of scanning probe microscopes. Experimentally, a metal tip was heated and melted by a focused laser light. The tip was then sharpened by a strong electric field and consolidated as the laser was turned off. With a low-vacuum and a high-voltage source, a 25-µm indium-coated platinum wire was sharpened to a tip with diameters below 50 nm. The minimal tip radius by this method is estimated to be below 1 nm. With this technique, in situ tip sharpening for SPM would be possible.

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