Wilson Neil R, Macpherson Julie V
Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
Nat Nanotechnol. 2009 Aug;4(8):483-91. doi: 10.1038/nnano.2009.154. Epub 2009 Jul 13.
The development of atomic force microscopy (AFM) over the past 20 years has had a major impact on materials science, surface science and various areas of biology, and it is now a routine imaging tool for the structural characterization of surfaces. The lateral resolution in AFM is governed by the shape of the tip and the geometry of the apex at the end of the tip. Conventional microfabrication routes result in pyramid-shaped tips, and the radius of curvature at the apex is typically less than 10 nm. As well as producing smaller tips, AFM researchers want to develop tips that last longer, provide faithful representations of complex surface topographies, and are mechanically non-invasive. Carbon nanotubes have demonstrated considerable potential as AFM tips but they are still not widely adopted. This review traces the history of carbon nanotube tips for AFM, the applications of these tips and research to improve their performance.
在过去20年里，原子力显微镜（AFM）的发展对材料科学、表面科学以及生物学的各个领域都产生了重大影响，如今它已成为用于表面结构表征的常规成像工具。AFM中的横向分辨率由针尖的形状以及针尖末端顶点的几何形状决定。传统的微加工工艺会制造出金字塔形状的针尖，其顶点处的曲率半径通常小于10纳米。除了制造更小的针尖外，AFM研究人员还希望开发出使用寿命更长、能如实呈现复杂表面形貌且机械非侵入性的针尖。碳纳米管已展现出作为AFM针尖的巨大潜力，但仍未得到广泛应用。本综述追溯了用于AFM的碳纳米管针尖的历史、这些针尖的应用以及为提高其性能所做的研究。
