Disclosed is a method for preparing nanoscale electrodes comprised of electrochemically grown noble metal nanowires, and use of the same for the detection of extremely small concentrations of molecules. Such nanoscale electrodes provide target molecule release information from submicron areas on the cell surface, significantly increasing the spatial resolution of the target molecule mapping of a cell surface to enable localization of target molecules on the cell surface, which can be critical for the detection of certain cells with different properties in a given group of cells, such as circulating tumor cells.

A system and method (referred to as a method) to fabricate nanorobots. The method generates a pixel map of an atomic object and identifies portions of the atomic object that form a nanorobot. The method stores those identifications in a memory. The method adjusts an electron beam to a noninvasive operating level and images the portions of the atomic object that form the nanorobot. The method executes a plurality of scanning profiles by the electron beam to form the nanorobot and detects nanorobot characteristics and their surroundings via the electron beam in response to executing the plurality of scanning profiles.

This document is directed at a method of manufacturing a semiconductor element, the method comprising manipulating a surface of a substrate using an atomic force microscope, the atomic force microscope including a probe, the probe including a cantilever and a probe tip, the substrate including at least one or more device features embedded underneath the surface. The method comprises: imaging the embedded device features, and identifying that a position of the probe tip of the atomic force microscope is aligned with the feature; and displacing the probe tip transverse to the surface for exerting a stress for performing the step of surface manipulation, as for example contact holes. Imaging is performed by applying and obtaining an acoustic signal to and from the substrate via the probe tip, including a first and a second signal component at different frequencies. The imaging and surface manipulation are performed using said same probe and probe tip.

This document is directed at a method of manufacturing a semiconductor element, the method comprising manipulating a surface of a substrate using an atomic force microscope, the atomic force microscope including a probe, the probe including a cantilever and a probe tip, the substrate including at least one or more device features embedded underneath the surface. The method comprises: imaging the embedded device features, and identifying that a position of the probe tip of the atomic force microscope is aligned with the feature; and displacing the probe tip transverse to the surface for exerting a stress for performing the step of surface manipulation, as for example contact holes. Imaging is performed by applying and obtaining an acoustic signal to and from the substrate via the probe tip, including a first and a second signal component at different frequencies. The imaging and surface manipulation are performed using said same probe and probe tip.

Nanowires that may be utilized in microscopy, for example atomic force microscopy (AFM), as part of an AFM probe, as well as for other uses, are disclosed. The nanowires may be formed from a Group III nitride such as an epitaxial layer that may be or include gallium nitride, indium nitride, aluminum nitride, and an alloy of these materials. During use of the AFM probe to measure a topography of a test sample surface, the nanowire can activated and caused to lase and emit a light, thereby illuminating the surface with the light. In an implementation, the light can be collected by the AFM probe itself, for example through an optical fiber to which the nanowire is attached.

Nanowires that may be utilized in microscopy, for example atomic force microscopy (AFM), as part of an AFM probe, as well as for other uses, are disclosed. The nanowires may be formed from a Group III nitride such as an epitaxial layer that may be or include gallium nitride, indium nitride, aluminum nitride, and an alloy of these materials. During use of the AFM probe to measure a topography of a test sample surface, the nanowire can activated and caused to lase and emit a light, thereby illuminating the surface with the light. In an implementation, the light can be collected by the AFM probe itself, for example through an optical fiber to which the nanowire is attached.

A cantilever used in a scanning probe microscope includes a supporting section, a lever section, and a protrusion section, which is a probe. A crystalline carbon composite layer including a crystalline carbon nanomaterial and a metal material, a melting point of which is 420 C. or lower, is deposited on a distal end portion of the protrusion section.

A cantilever used in a scanning probe microscope includes a supporting section, a lever section, and a protrusion section, which is a probe. A crystalline carbon composite layer including a crystalline carbon nanomaterial and a metal material, a melting point of which is 420 C. or lower, is deposited on a distal end portion of the protrusion section.

The present application relates to an apparatus for a scanning probe microscope, said apparatus having: (a) at least one first measuring probe having at least one first cantilever, the free end of which has a first measuring tip; (b) at least one first reflective area arranged in the region of the free end of the at least one first cantilever and embodied to reflect at least two light beams in different directions; and (c) at least two first interferometers embodied to use the at least two light beams reflected by the at least one first reflective area to determine the position of the first measuring tip.

A near-field scanning probe includes: a measurement probe that relatively scans a test sample; an excitation light irradiation system; a near-field light generation system that generates near-field light in a region including the measurement probe in response to irradiation with excitation light from the excitation light irradiation system; and a scattered light detection system that detects Rayleigh scattering and Ramen scattered light of the near-field light from the sample, generated between the measurement probe and the sample, and the near-field scanning probe is characterized in that the near-field light generation system includes a cantilever with a chip coated with a noble metal, and a tip of the chip is provided with a thin wire group including a plurality of carbon nanowires with a noble metal provided at ends thereof.