Fabrication of a ring nanoelectrode in an AFM tip: novel approach towards simultaneous electrochemical and topographical imaging

We present a novel approach for the fabrication of a ring nanoelectrode integrated in a standard atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip. The discussed procedure enables the integration of an electroactive area in an exactly defined distance above the apex of a scanning probe tip and the subsequent remodelling and sharpening of the original AFM tip using a focused ion beam technique. This approach is a novel concept towards enhancing the functionality of AFM in order to obtain laterally resolved electrochemical information. Hence entirely separated topographical and electrochemical information can be obtained simultaneously. The presented technique also demonstrates an alternative approach towards electrochemical imaging using nanometer electrodes with a well-defined geometry, as shown with the development of the first integrated ring nanoelectrode in an AFM cantilever. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.