Manipulations with diamond nanoparticles in SPM: the effect of electric field of the conductive probe tip

The role of the electric field during manipulations with diamond nanoparticles on a silicon substrate by a scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip is studied. It is found that the attractive force appearing in the contact between nanodiamond and an electrically charged tip is sufficient to detach and displace a chosen nanoparticle from initial to goal position under moderate mechanical stresses of the probe to nanoparticle. The problem of the control of the tip motion trajectory during manipulations is solved by visualizing the tip trace of the sample surface. The results obtained will be used for precision positioning of single-photon emitters based on luminescent nanodiamonds in microcavities.