# US 2014/0193585 A1 · Method for Modifying Probe Tip

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- Number: US 2014/0193585 A1
- Document ID: US20140193585A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/799,941
- Filed: 2013-03-13
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07
- Inventors: Chun-Ting Lin; Ming-Han Yu; Ming-Hua Shiao; Mao-Nan Chang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193585A1

## CPC

- G01Q 70/16: Probe manufacture
- C23C 18/54: Contact plating, i.e. electroless electrochemical plating
- B82Y 15/00: Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
- B82Y 35/00: Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
- G01R 1/06738: {related to tip portion}
- G01R 3/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture {or maintenance} of measuring instruments {, e.g. of probe tips}
- G01Q: SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)

## Abstract

A method for modifying the probe tip of a microscope, including the following steps of providing a substrate, providing a metal precursor solution with fluoride ion on the substrate, using the probe tip to dip into the metal precursor solution with fluoride ion on the substrate in order to form a nano-metal particle on the probe tip by the reduction reaction of at least one metal ion in the metal precursor solution. As the result, the probe tip having the nano-metal particle thereon can increase the spatial-resolution of the measuring performance of the field sensitive scanning probe microscope due to the great reduction of stray field effects.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for modifying probe tip, comprising the following steps of:
providing a substrate;
providing a metal precursor solution having fluoride ion on the substrate;
using the probe tip to dip into the metal precursor solution having fluoride ion on the substrate; and
reducing at least one metal ion in the metal precursor solution to form at least one nano-metal particle on the probe tip by reduction reaction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a hydrophilic substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 1, wherein the substrate is made of anodic aluminum oxide.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 1, wherein the probe tip is a silicon probe tip.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 4, wherein when the silicon probe tip is dipped into the metal precursor solution having fluoride ion, silicon hexafluoride ion is generated on a surface of the silicon probe tip, so as to make the silicon hexafluoride ion and the at least one metal ion of the metal precursor solution form a silicon-metal ionic bond.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal particle is deposited on the probe tip via self assembly effect.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal ion comprises silver ion (Ag+), copper ion (Cu2+), hexachloroplatinum(2−) (PtCl62−), tetrachlorogold(1−) (AuCl4−), or the combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 1, wherein the at least one metal particle comprises silver, copper, platinum, gold or combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method for modifying probe tip of claim 1, wherein a size of the metal particle is ranged from 20 nm to 1000 nm.