Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for investigating adsorbed species on a single-crystal surface using electrochemically prepared Au tips

A tip-enhanced Raman instrument was set up based on a homemade optical fiber Raman head, a dispersive spectrograph, and a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) system. Electrochemical preparation of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) Au tips was refined by using the etching current as ending point control, resulting in a success rate as high as 90%. The high quality Au tips allow the recording of STM images with molecular resolution and TERS spectra of nonresonant surface species on a single-crystal surface.