Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is a powerful technique for nanoscale chemical imaging. However, its worldwide expansion is still limited by the challenging fabrication of cheap, robust and efficient TERS tips as optical nanosources to amplify the Raman signal. An original method based on bipolar electrodeposition is described here to prepare gold-coated AFM cantilevers used as TERS tips. This wireless method is simple to implement, cost-effective, and allows for the parallel fabrication of several TERS tips with good reproducibility of the metal thickness and a relatively long lifetime. The TERS activity was confirmed by imaging graphene oxide flakes with high spatial resolution (below 10 nm). A promising yield of 64% was achieved for the fabrication of active TERS tips. Therefore, this method could pave the way for the development of new chemical routes for the preparation of TERS tips and other plasmonic nanostructures.

中文翻译：

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通过双极电沉积非接触式制造 TERS 主动 AFM 针尖


针尖增强拉曼光谱 （TERS） 是一种用于纳米级化学成像的强大技术。然而，其全球扩张仍然受到制造廉价、坚固和高效的 TERS 针尖作为光学纳米源以放大拉曼信号的挑战性限制。这里描述了一种基于双极电沉积的原始方法来制备用作 TERS 针尖的镀金 AFM 悬臂。这种无线方法易于实施，成本效益高，并且允许并行制造多个 TERS 针尖，具有良好的金属厚度可重复性和相对较长的使用寿命。通过对具有高空间分辨率 （低于 10 nm） 的氧化石墨烯薄片进行成像来证实 TERS 活性。制备活性 TERS 针尖的产量为 64%。因此，该方法可以为开发用于制备 TERS 尖端和其他等离子体纳米结构的新化学途径铺平道路。