High-resolution nanowire atomic force microscope probe grownby a field-emission induced process

A technique to grow a nanowire probe on an atomic force microscope $\left(\text{AFM}\right)$ tip using a field-emission induced growth process has been developed. The simple and highly reproducible technique produces vertically aligned nanowire probes whose length is controlled by the growth duration. Using a cantilever clamping arrangement, nanowire probes can be grown on low-stiffness cantilevers. Experiments using the robust nanowire $\text{AFM}$ probe demonstrate its ability to produce high-resolution tapping mode $\text{AFM}$ images and improved profiling of structures with steep sidewalls due to its very sharp tip and high aspect ratio. No degradation in imaging performance was observed after a period of continuous scanning and storage.