NanoWorld AG is developping a cantilever-based SNOM probe, which will be produced using microfabrication techniques. This development project is supported by the Commission for technology and innovation (CTI) of the Swiss Federation
It is carried out together with the following partners:
• IMT (Institute de Microtechnique), University of Neuchâtel
• WiTec (german manufacturer of SPM instruments)
• CSEM (Centre Swiss d’Electronique et de Microtechnique)
The probes have silicon cantilevers with integrated quartz glass tips.
The transparent tips are coated with aluminum.
They allow simultaneous use in scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM)
and atomic force microscopy (AFM).
Using such probes, SNOM imaging in transmission mode of single fluorescent
molecules showed an optical resolution of better than 50 nm.