Abstract:

Fiber probes for near-field scanning optical microscope were fabricated using the improved Turner method. Then, the morphology of the probes affected by such parameters as the environment factor and the characteristics of the etchant and the cover layer was investigated and compared with that of the probes fabricated via the tube etching. Moreover, the process of the Turner method was modified. The results indicate that （ 1 ） the reaction speed greatly increases with the reaction temperature, and an temperature increase from 0℃ to 32℃ may accelerate the reaction by 1.6 times ; （2） with the increase of etching solution concentration, the taper length becomes shorter and the surface becomes rougher; （3） a suitable long reaction time may increase the taper angle of the probes; （4） the rough honeycomb taper surface of the probes is due to the inherent limitation of the taper-forming process; and （5） a second etching effectively smoothes the taper surface and enlarges the taper angle.

Key words: fiber probe, chemical etching, near-field scanning optical microscope, surface morphology