PULSED LASER-INDUCED DESORPTION AND OPTICAL IMAGING ON A NANOMETER-SCALE WITH SCANNING NEAR-FIELD MICROSCOPY USING CHEMICALLY ETCHED FIBER TIPS

Laser-induced desorption on a nanometer scale using scanning near-fiel d optical microscopy (SNOM) is demonstrated. Pulsed laser-induced deso rption of anthracene with completely metallized SNOM fiber tips result ed in a lateral resolution of 70 nm. This became possible due to the u se of chemically etched tips with a taper region smaller than 200 mu m and cone angles varying from 6 to 30 degrees. These tips are further useful for optical imaging with a very high optical transmission coeff icient (up to 10(-3)), achieving a lateral resolution of 80 nm. (C) 19 96 American Institute of Physics.