Fabrication and mechanical properties of an organo-mineral cantilever-based probe for near-field optical microscopy

We present the design, batch fabrication sequences and mechanical characterization of an optical near-field probe. The probe structure is made of a hybrid organo-mineral material synthesized using a sol-gel process. The cantilever-type probe was designed for Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (SNOM) in collection mode and its design was optimized by simulations. The mechanical properties of the probes were measured and topographical images of a standard surface obtained with the fabricated probes are presented.