Nanometer-scale sharpening of conductor tips

摘要

The invention provides methods for sharpening the tip of an electrical conductor. The methods of the invention are capable of producing tips with an apex radius of curvature less than 2 nm. The methods of the invention are based on simultaneous direction of ionized atoms towards the apex of a previously sharpened conducting tip and application of an electric potential difference to the tip. The sign of the charge on the ions is the same as the sign of the electric potential. The methods of the invention can be used to sharpen metal wires, metal wires tipped with conductive coatings, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, semiconducting nanowires and semiconductors in other forms.

主权项

1. A microscope probe comprising a microscope probe tip wherein the apex of the microscope probe tip has a radius of curvature less than 5 nm and the microscope probe tip has a cone angle from 60 degrees to 65 degrees and is not single crystal tungsten.