A sensing probe may be formed of a diamond material comprising one or more spin defects that are configured to emit fluorescent light and are located no more than 50 nm from a sensing surface of the sensing probe. The sensing probe may include an optical outcoupling structure formed by the diamond material and configured to optically guide the fluorescent light toward an output end of the optical outcoupling structure. An optical detector may detect the fluorescent light that is emitted from the spin defects and that exits through the output end of the optical outcoupling structure after being optically guided therethrough. A mounting system may hold the sensing probe and control a distance between the sensing surface of the sensing probe and a surface of a sample while permitting relative motion between the sensing surface and the sample surface.

A method of batch-fabricating an array of probe devices for a surface analysis instrument, such as an atomic force microscope (AFM), includes providing a wafer, and photolithographically forming a base and a cantilever for each probe. The cantilever includes a built-in angle, θ, relative to the base, and the base is substantially parallel to a sample holder when the probe device is mounted in a probe holder of the surface analysis instrument.

A method of batch-fabricating an array of probe devices for a surface analysis instrument, such as an atomic force microscope (AFM), includes providing a wafer, and photolithographically forming a base and a cantilever for each probe. The cantilever includes a built-in angle, θ, relative to the base, and the base is substantially parallel to a sample holder when the probe device is mounted in a probe holder of the surface analysis instrument.

An atomic force microscope (AFM) and method of operating the same includes a separate Z height sensor to measure, simultaneously with AFM system control, probe sample distance, pixel-by-pixel during AFM data acquisition. By mapping the AFM data to low resolution data of the Z height data, a high resolution final data image corrected for creep is generated in real time.

An atomic force microscope (AFM) and method of operating the same includes a separate Z height sensor to measure, simultaneously with AFM system control, probe sample distance, pixel-by-pixel during AFM data acquisition. By mapping the AFM data to low resolution data of the Z height data, a high resolution final data image corrected for creep is generated in real time.

A method of manufacturing, characterizing, mounting, and a system of a probe may include a pillar having a taper angle and at least one engineered defect. The taper angle may be formed using crystallographic- or etching-based techniques. The probe may be mounted to an AFM chip. Furthermore, an RF waveguide may be connected to the AFM chip for providing RF excitation.

A method of manufacturing, characterizing, mounting, and a system of a probe may include a pillar having a taper angle and at least one engineered defect. The taper angle may be formed using crystallographic- or etching-based techniques. The probe may be mounted to an AFM chip. Furthermore, an RF waveguide may be connected to the AFM chip for providing RF excitation.

Articles and methods related to scanning probe microscopy probes are generally provided. A scanning probe microscopy probe may comprise a chip, a mechanical resonator attached to the chip, a tip attached to the mechanical resonator, and a handle attached to the chip. The handle may have a length of at least 5 mm and an average thickness of less than or equal to 500 microns. The probe may further comprise an insulating coating covering both the chip and the handle.

A new semiconductor-laser-integrated Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) optical probe integrates a semiconductor laser and a silicon cantilever AFM probe into a robust easy-to-use chip to enable AFM measurements, optical imaging, and spectroscopy at the nanoscale.

A new semiconductor-laser-integrated Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) optical probe integrates a semiconductor laser and a silicon cantilever AFM probe into a robust easy-to-use chip to enable AFM measurements, optical imaging, and spectroscopy at the nanoscale.