A Combination System of a Thin Atomic Force Microscope and an Upright Raman Microscope for Position-Controllable Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Abstract

Abstract In this study, we propose a novel atomic force microscope (AFM) combined with a Raman microscope for fabricating position-controllable surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates. The head of the AFM is designed with an effective thickness of 7.3 mm and reserved an open space above the cantilever probe for the objective with high NA. Benefitti from the thin head, the homemade AFM can be easily integrated with the upright Raman microscope. The Raman microscope and AFM share the same XY piezo scanner and allow to a complimentary mapping of Raman mapping images. The new combination system is equipped with automated nano-manipulation functions which help to precisely assemble one-dimensional (1D) materials such as noble metal nanowires into the desired patterns. The experimental results demonstrate that our developed AFM-Raman system can be applied to fabricating and investigating position-controllable SERS substrates. The optical geometry of this new system also shows potential in other combinational applications.