Tip-shape reconstruction for a laterally vibrating SPM probe

This study is concerned with the tip-shape reconstruction for the shear-force scanning probe microscope and the near-field scanning optical microscope, in which the probe executes lateral vibrations. The spatial resolution of the microscopes is directly dependent on the tip radius. A reconstruction method is proposed that employs specially designed test structures and is based on deconvolution. The method is used to generate images of tungsten and nickel wire probes, fabricated by electrochemical etching, and near-field optical-fiber probes. The results are verified by TEM imaging of the probes. By the same approach, correlation is revealed between reconstructed probe aperture and resolution for the near-field optical microscope. © 2005 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".