Characterization of a titanium nanoscopic wire by STM and SFM

STM and SFM near-field scanning microscopies are compared with the standard SEM microscopy for their ability to characterize an 80 nm wide titanium wire. The dimensions measured with SEM, STM and SFM are comparable. However, without a metallization of the structure, SFM provides better information on the relief of this nanowire. Moreover, it is shown how an electrostatic SFM can provide direct information on the metallic character of the nanowire with the same resolution as the topography.