AFM nanoshaving: A novel prospect for the structural comparison of bioreceptor layers

In this work we present a nanoscale method called AFM nanoshaving (atomic force microscopy) as a prospect for the structural comparison of bioreceptor layers. Upon nanoshaving a biofunctionalized surface - such as DNA receptor chains on a gold thin film substrate - a higher pressing force is applied with the AFM tip during the scan, which removes the previously chemically attached bioreceptor molecules. By analyzing the cross sections of the shaved and untouched regions of the surface it is possible to gain information about the orientation of the receptor molecules which is not possible by any other indirect measurement methods. Our work discusses the possibilities of this novel technique and presents pilot results about the characterization of DNA based bioreceptor layers with AFM nanoshaving.