Fabrication and Mechanical Properties of an Organo-Mineral Cantilever-Based Probe for Near-Field Optical Microscopy

Abstract

tWe present the design, batch fabrication sequences and mechanical characterization of an optical near-field probe. The probe structure is made of a hybrid organo-mineral material synthesized using a sol–gelprocess. The cantilever-type probe was designed for Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (SNOM) incollection mode and its design was optimized by simulations. The mechanical properties of the probeswere measured and topographical images of a standard surface obtained with the fabricated probes arepresented.

Keywords: Organo-mineral material, SNOM probe, Microtechnology, Cantilever tip, Nano-aperture, AFM