Synthesis and attachment of silver nanowires on atomic force microscopy cantilevers for tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy is based on the absorption of light by nanometer‐sized metal particles, resulting in large enhancement of the Raman signal. By replacing the metal particles by a metallic nanotip, the enhancement can be localized. The resulting tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy is capable of measuring Raman spectra with high spatial resolution, effectively overcoming the diffraction limit. A successful tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy experiment depends heavily on the ability to fabricate tips of a definite metal with the appropriate shape and size, which is still a challenging process. We have prepared silver nanowires with a diameter of 200–300 nm by templated electrochemical deposition and attached them onto atomic force microscope cantilevers by focused electron beam induced deposition. We found that they produce a reproducible enhancement of the Raman signal intensity. Other metals and smaller nanostructures might also be produced, suggesting an interesting development potential for these novel nanoprobes.