Note: In situ cleavage of crystallographic oriented tips for scanning probe microscopy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Science

Background:

• Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) requires high-quality tips for atomic resolution imaging.
• Fabricating reliable and reproducible SPM tips remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an in situ method for preparing single-crystal nickel oxide (NiO) tips for SPM.
• To demonstrate the capability of these NiO tips in atomic resolution imaging.

Main Methods:

• Oriented single-crystal NiO rods were diced using a wafer saw to create defined breaking points.
• Two tip geometries (single rod and two-sided cut rod) were fabricated.
• Tips were mounted on a quartz tuning fork force sensor and cleaved in situ using the SPM's coarse approach.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated cleavable NiO tips with two distinct geometries.
• Demonstrated the ability to cleave the tips in situ using the SPM coarse approach.
• Obtained atomically resolved force microscopy images of NiO (001) surfaces using the fabricated NiO tips.

Conclusions:

• The in situ preparation method is effective for creating functional SPM tips from NiO.
• The NiO tips are capable of achieving atomic resolution, showcasing their potential for surface analysis.
• This method offers a novel approach for SPM tip fabrication with potential applications in materials characterization.