Built-up AFM tips by metal nanoclusters engineering

The ability to probe tip-sample interactions by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has recently boosted our understanding of the matter at atomic scale, enabling study properties surfaces and adsorbates which were previously inaccessible. Nevertheless, this sensitivity forces presents some drawbacks, as requirement a sharp tip apex prevent loss spatial resolution due existence long-range interactions. In work, we have overcome long-standing challenge investigating controlled extraction single metallic nanoclusters, selectively grown on graphene. Our results show that successive cluster allows grow nanotips, minimize greatly enhance topographic resolution. We demonstrated created nanotips are very stable, enables exchanging sample using same nanotip explore different without Since clusters materials sizes can be extracted AFM, ours work paves also way specific functionalization AFM-tips sense large variety