Nanostructuring with laser radiation in the nearfield of a tip from a scanning force microscope

Abstract.

 We report preliminary results of using an SFM(Scanning Force Microscope)/laser combination in FOLANT configuration (FOcusing of LAserradiation in Nearfield of a Tip) to perform nanostructuring on insulator and metal surfaces in air. This technique is based on local intensity enhancement of laser radiation in the nearfield of a tip and enables processing of structures with a lateral resolution of approximately 10 nm. The structuring has been carried out on polycarbonate and metal (gold) surfaces - appropriate materials for data storage applications - as well as on organic media to demonstrate possible applications in biotechnology. Some details of nanostructuring mechanisms are discussed.