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Updated: Feb 4, 2026
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Electrochemical Etching and Characterization of Sharp Field Emission Points for Electron Impact Ionization
Published on: July 12, 2016
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Note: Controlling the length of plasmonic tips obtained by pulsed electrochemical etching
J Plathier1, A Pignolet1, A Ruediger1
1Centre Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Varennes, Québec J3X 1S2, Canada.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|October 4, 2018
Summary
We developed a pulsed electrochemical etching method to precisely control plasmonic gold tip length. This technique allows tuning tip shape and enhancing plasmonic properties for advanced imaging and spectroscopy applications.
Area of Science:
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Plasmonic gold tips are crucial for high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy.
- Controlling tip geometry, particularly length, is essential for tuning plasmonic properties.
- Existing methods for tip fabrication may lack precise length control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel method for controlling the length of plasmonic gold tips.
- To enable precise tuning of tip shape and associated plasmonic behavior.
- To improve spatial resolution in near-field imaging and tip-enhanced spectroscopy.
Main Methods:
- Pulsed electrochemical etching of gold tips.
- Implementation of a cut-off circuit to halt etching at a desired length.
- Monitoring cell voltage to understand and control etching dynamics.
- Characterization of tip geometry (apex radius, opening angle).
Main Results:
- Achieved precise control over plasmonic gold tip length.
- Demonstrated that tip length can be controlled by monitoring cell voltage during etching.
- Fabricated tips with low apex radius and small opening angles.
- Confirmed plasmonic behavior using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
Conclusions:
- The pulsed electrochemical etching method offers reliable control over plasmonic gold tip length.
- This control facilitates tuning of plasmonic properties by modifying tip shape.
- The resulting tips are suitable for high-resolution topographic and near-field imaging.
- The method is validated by successful application in tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
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