Invited review article: a review of techniques for attaching micro- and nanoparticles to a probe's tip for surface force and near-field optical measurements.

Cantilevers with single micro- or nanoparticle probes have been widely used for atomic force microscopy surface force measurements and apertureless scanning near-field optical microscopy applications. In this article, I critically review the particle attachment and modification techniques currently available, to help researchers choose the appropriate techniques for specific applications.