On the operating stability of a scanning force microscope with a nanowhisker at the top of the probe

The functioning of the scanning probe microscope cantilever with a metal-carbon whisker at the top is studied. Metal-carbon whiskers grown by focused ion beam deposition in the presence of precursor gases have an aspect ratio in the range $\alpha$ = 10–200 and hold shape upon multiple scanning in the constant force mode. The advantage of probes with whiskers at the top in examining rough surfaces with vertical walls and narrow grooves is demonstrated experimentally. At high $\alpha$, the scanning probe microscope is found to operate unstably, because the lateral surface of the whisker interacts with the specimen. It is shown that the axis of the whisker should be set normally to the specimen’s surface for the microscope to operate reliably at high aspect ratios.