Fabrication of a Si scanning probe microscopy tip with an ultrahigh vacuum-scanning tunneling microscope/atomic force microscope

Fabrication techniques for a sharp Si tip on a cantilever have been developed by using an ultrahigh vacuum-scanning tunneling microscope/atomic force microscope. The Si tip growth was performed by applying a voltage at a constant current between a Si substrate and the cantilever. It is considered that Si atoms were field evaporated on the substrate, and deposited onto the cantilever with this procedure. The sharp Si tip was successfully grown when a 3000 A gold coated cantilever was used, and not grown when the gold film was absent. The cantilever that formed the tip may have applications in scanning probe microscopy.