JOURNAL ARTICLE

One-step fabrication of sharp platinum/iridium tips via amplitude-modulated alternating-current electropolishing.

  • Published In: Applied Physics Letters, 2025, v. 126, n. 8. P. 1 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Nishiwaki, Yuto; Utsunomiya, Toru; Kurokawa, Shu; Ichii, Takashi 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the development of a method to fabricate sharp and clean platinum/iridium (Pt/Ir) alloy tips for scanning probe microscopy (SPM) using amplitude-modulated alternating-current (AC) electropolishing. This technique applies a sinusoidal voltage with amplitude modulation in a CaCl₂/H₂O/acetone solution, producing reproducible tips with a radius of curvature under 100 nm and clean surfaces free of oxygen or chlorine contamination, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and atom probe tomography. The fabricated tips demonstrated improved performance over conventional mechanically cut tips in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for imaging rough surfaces and achieved atomic resolution in both STM and qPlus atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses in liquid. The method offers a simpler and more reproducible alternative to conventional electropolishing techniques, enabling high-resolution and large-area SPM analyses without complex setups.

Additional Information

  • Source:Applied Physics Letters. 2025/02, Vol. 126, Issue 8, p1
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Geology
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0003-6951
  • DOI:10.1063/5.0251481
  • Accession Number:183389095
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