Nanostructured probes for scanning near-field optical microscopy

A novel concept for the fabrication of nanostructured probe tips for application in scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) based on micromachining and thin-film technology is presented. This concept allows for the reproducible batch fabrication of aperture probe tips consisting of a transparent silicon nitride cone with a sharp tip apex surrounded by a metallic coating. Furthermore, the concept can be extended to the fabrication of probe tips with a coaxial nanostructure or a single nanoelectrode. The tip fabrication can be integrated into micromachining processes for the batch fabrication of scanning probe microscopy sensors and therefore leads to new types of multifunctional probes. Here the integration of the SNOM probe tip into an AFM cantilever equipped with an integrated optical waveguide designed for simultaneous AFM/SNOM operation is described.