V-shaped metallic-wire cantilevers for combined atomic force microscopy and Fowler-Nordheim imaging

A method for fabricating V-shaped cantilevers from a flattened Pt/ir metal wire for combined atomic force microscopy and Fowler-Nordheim imaging is described. These novel cantilevers have been found to be more robust then conventional ones used for scanning capacitance and magnetic force microscopy as their conductivity is maintained even after a large number of surface scans. The use of a V-shaped geometry improves on earlier single-beam geometries by reducing rms imaging noise. Characterization of these cantilevers and combined atomic force microscopy and Fowler-Nordheim images are reported.