He⁺ FIBID-fabricated 3D AFM tip architectures: an exploratory study of hollow pillars, helices, and spirals

• Alba Arroyo-Fructuoso,
• Ana Galet,
• Gregor Hlawacek and
• Rosa Córdoba

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 863–871, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.62

• operating conditions. Under the conditions explored here, selected 3D-printed tips reproduced the nominal step height of the calibration structure, yielding values consistent with those obtained using commercial probes on the same sample. To relate probe operation to structural outcome, each tip was

• required. Keywords: 3D-printed tips; AFM tips; beam induced nanomanufacturing; focused ion beam induced deposition (FIBID); helium ion microscope; nanohelix; nanopillar; nanospiral; scanning tip microscopy; surface topography; tungsten carbide; Introduction The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a

• remaining fifteen tips exhibited SEM-visible damage immediately after the first AFM campaign. Representative failure cases are shown in Supporting Information File 1. Topographic characterisation To evaluate the basic operation of the 3D-printed tips, AFM measurements were carried out on a TGXYZ01