Graphene-coated atomic force microscope tips for reliable nanoscale electrical characterization

Abstract

Graphene single-layer films are grown by chemical vapor deposition and transferred onto commercially available conductive tips for atomic force microscopy. Graphene-coated tips are much more resistant to both high currents and frictions than commercially available, metal-varnished, conductive atomic force microscopy tips, leading to much larger lifetimes and more reliable imaging due to a lower tip-sample interaction. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.