Nano-dot array formation using nano-jet probe for photonics application

The scanning probe microscope (SPM) is a powerful instrument for use in fabricating nano-structures [1]. To date, SPM-based nano-fabrication techniques have proven to be extremely useful in nanotechnology fields. One of the most popular SPM-based methods of nano-fabrication is the direct transfer of material from an SPM probe to a sample surface by applying a voltage pulse between the probe and the sample [2-3]. This technique utilizes coated materials on the tip or a part of the tip itself as a deposited material in the creation of nano-dots. It is consequently clear that current techniques are insufficient for practical mass-production use, since the change in the shape of the apex of the probe during the nano-fabrication process poses an inevitable problem. To solve this problem, we developed a specially designed new atomic force microscope (AFM) probe, referred to as the Nano-Jet Probe (NJP).