Micromachined fountain pen as a tool for atomic force microscope-based nanoelectrochemical metal deposition

We present a device that enables nanoelectrochemical deposition using atomic force microscope. The micromachined fountain pen is a probe that consists of a fluidic reservoir, fluidic channels encapsulated in cantilevers and a pyramidal probe tip by which the fluid transfer to the sample surface takes place. Electrochemical metal deposition occurs on a sample surface when electrical current is driven through the electrical circuit, which is closed by the electrolyte solution. The smallest features that we succeeded depositing with this technique up till now are 3 nm high and 250 nm wide.