Reliable nanoscale electrical characterization using graphene-coated atomic force microscope tips

Electrical characterization at the nanoscale is an essential procedure for analyzing the performance of many materials used at both industry and academia. In this field, one of the most powerful tools is the Conductive Atomic Force Microscope (CAFM), which can characterize the electrical properties of both conductive and thin insulating materials at areas as small as 3nm 2[1,2]. The main challenge associated with this technique is the poor reliability of the tips, which metallic varnish can wear out very fast due to high current densities and frictions when scanning the surface of the sample under test. Therefore, finding a new method to avoid fast tip wearing is essential for cheap and reliable nanoscale electrical characterization. In this work, we used a Graphene Single Layer (GSL) film to prevent premature tip wearing during conductivity measurements, and we report the first electrical characterization of nanostructured materials using a novel graphene-coated CAFM tip [3].