To obtain maximal resolution in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy, the size of the protruding tip orbital has to be minimized. Beryllium as tip material is a promising candidate for enhanced resolution because a beryllium atom has just four electrons, leading to a small covalent radius of only 96 pm. Besides that, beryllium is conductive and has a high elastic modulus, which is a necessity for a stable tip apex. However, beryllium tips that are prepared ex situ are covered with a robust oxide layer, which cannot be removed by just heating the tip. Here, the authors present a successful preparation method that combines the heating of the tip by field emission and a mild collision with a clean metal plate. That method yields a clean, oxide-free tip surface as proven by a work function of Phi(expt)=5.5 eV as deduced from a current-distance curve. Additionally, a STM image of the Si-(111)-(7x7) is presented to prove the single-atom termination of the beryllium tip. (C) 2010 American Vacuum Society. [DOI: 10.1116/1.3294706]