Microwave-assisted fabrication of carbon nanotube AFM tips.

A new, fast, alternative approach for the fabrication of carbon nanotube (CNT) atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips is reported. Thereby, the tube material is grown on the apex of an AFM tip by utilizing microwave irradiation and selective heating of the catalyst. Reaction times as short as three minutes allowed the fabrication of CNT AFM tips in a highly efficient process. This method represents a promising approach toward a cheaper, faster, and straightforward synthesis of CNT AFM tips.