Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Processes and products – Electrostatic field or electrical discharge
Patent
1990-09-10
1992-02-04
Valentine, Donald R.
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Processes and products
Electrostatic field or electrical discharge
20412955, 20412975, 156625, C25F 302, C25F 316
Patent
active
050857460
ABSTRACT:
A method of fabricating a double-tapered scanning tunneling microscope comprises (a) immersing one end of the tip in a bath of an acidic aqueous etchant solution containing an alkaline earth salt, with the wire positioned substantially perpendicularly to the surface of the solution; and (b) etching the wire at about 25 volts root mean squared (rms) alternating current (ac) until a double-tapered tip is formed thereon. The etching step is preferably followed by a polishing step which comprises (c) providing a thin film of a second acidic aqueous etchant solution containing an alkaline earth salt; then (d) contacting said electrode tip to the thin film: and then (e) etching the tip at about 2 volts rms ac to thereby polish the tip.
Also disclosed is a method inhibiting the formation of carbon on a scanning tunneling microscope tip which comprises (a) positioning a wire in an etchant solution and then (b) etching the wire while excluding carbon dioxide therefrom.
Double-tapered scanning tunneling microscope tip comprised of an elongate wire and methods of using the same are also disclosed.
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Musselman Inga H.
Russell Phillip E.
North Carolina State University
Valentine Donald R.
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