Micromachined aperture probe tip for multifunctional scanning probe microscopy

The paper presents a new concept of a micromachined integrated sensor for combined atomic force/near-field optical microscopy. The sensor consists of a microfabricated cantilever with an integrated waveguide and a transparent near-field aperture tip. The advantage compared to the fiber-based near-field tips is the high reproducibility of the aperture and the control of the tip–sample distance by the AFM-channel. The aperture tip is fabricated in a reliable batch process which has the potential for implementation in micromachining processes of scanning probe microscopy sensors and therefore leads to new types of multifunctional probes. For evaluation purposes, the tip was attached to an optical fiber by a microassembly setup and subsequently installed in a near-field scanning optical microscope. First measurements of topographical and optical near-field patterns demonstrate the proper performance of the hybrid probe.