The structure and electron emission properties of scanning tunneling microscope tips electrochemically etched from polycrystalline and recrystallized tungsten wires were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Tips etched using the recrystallized wire had single crystal domains larger than those seen in tips etched from the cold drawn wire. The stability of the tips under high electric fields was investigated using field emission. It was found that tips etched from the recrystallized wire tended to have improved stability compared to those etched from the polycrystalline wire and that annealing either type of tip to high temperature in ultra-high vacuum had the greater influence on tip stability.
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