Search

The measurement of nano-scale line-width has always been important and difficult in the field of nanometer measurements, while the rapid development of integrated circuit greatly raises the demand again. As one kind of scanning probe microscope (SPM), atomic force microscope (AFM) can realize quasi three-dimensional measurement, which is widely used in nanometer scale line-width measurement. Our team researched a dual-probes atomic force microscope, which can eliminate the prevalent effect of probe width on measurement results. In dual-probes AFM system, a novel head are newly designed. A kind of self-sensing and self-exciting probes which is Nanosensors cooperation’s patented probe—Akiyama probe, is used in this novel head. The Akiyama probe applied to dual-probe atomic force microscope is one of the most important issues. The characterization of Akiyama probe would affect performance and accuracy of the whole system. The fundamental features of the Akiyama probe are electrically and optically characterized in “approach-withdraw” experiments. Further investigations include the frequency response of an Akiyama probe to small mechanical vibrations externally applied to the tip and the effective loading force yielding between the tip and the sample during the periodic contact. We hope that the characterization of the Akiyama probe described in this paper will guide application for dual-probe atomic force microscope.

Advanced optical setups are continuously developed to gain deeper insight into microscopic matter. In this paper we report the expansion of a home-built parabolic mirror assisted scanning, near-field optical microscope (PMSNOM) by introducing four complementary functions. 1) We integrated a scanning tunneling feedback function in addition to an already existent shear-force feedback control mechanism. Hence a scanning tunneling microscope (STM)-SNOM is realized whose performance will be demonstrated by the tip-enhanced Raman peaks of graphene sheets on a copper substrate. 2) We integrated an ultrafast laser system into the microscope which allows us to combine nonlinear optical microscopy with hyperspectral SNOM imaging. This particular expansion was used to study influences of plasmonic resonances on nonlinear optical properties of metallic nanostructures. 3) We implemented a polarization angle resolved detection technique which enables us to analyze the local structural order of α-sexithiophene (α-6T). 4) We combined scanning photocurrent microscopy with the microscope. This allows us to study morphology related optical (Raman and photoluminescence) and electrical properties of optoelectronic systems. Our work demonstrates the great potential of turning a SNOM into an advanced multifunctional microscope.

Traditional insight of effective probe of scanning electron microscope (SEM) is considered. A contradiction of this insight with experimental results registered at scanning of test objects with the trapezoidal profile and large slope angles by SEM probe is detected. A new insight of effective probe based on analyzes of the experimental results registered by SEM working in a back scattered electron (BSE) mode is proposed.

The critical dimension atomic force microscopy (CD-AFM) has been proposed as an instrument for contour measurement and verification since its capabilities are complementary to the widely used scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Although data from CD-AFM are three dimensional (3-D) in structure, the planar two-dimensional data required for contour metrology are not easily extracted from CD-AFM data. This is largely due to the limitations of the CD-AFM method for controlling the tip position and scanning, in which the relevant sidewall data are only obtained in one lateral axis. To use CD-AFM for contour metrology, the extracted profiles must include actual sidewall data from both lateral axes. Using two images acquired from orthogonal scan directions, profile extraction, and a method to combine those profiles, a technique for obtaining contours with the CD-AFM is developed. The main sources of error for this technique are described. The contours derived from CD-AFM were compared with those obtained using the SEM. Our results show that CD-AFM has the potential to make important contributions to semiconductor contour metrology.

Fatigue failure of steel occurs when small cracks form in a component and then continue to grow to a size large enough to cause failure. In order to understand the strength of steel components it is important to find these cracks. However, at present, it is not easy to distinguish the cracks that will grow fast and cause failure. We developed a three-dimensional scanning Hall probe microscope (3D-SHPM) and observed fatigue cracks at room temperature while they were growing. Four-point-bending fatigue tests were carried out using pre-cracked specimens (JIS-SUJ2, bearing steel). We observed the two-dimensional magnetic flux density distributions around the crack tips and found that there is a strong correlation between the changes in the magnetic flux densities and the crack growth. In order to understand this, we looked into all the three components of the magnetic flux densities, and found that they shape an arched bridge around a crack. We also found that the magnetic flux density moves in front of the crack tip along the crack growth direction.

Fatigue failure of steel occurs when small cracks form in a component and then continue to grow to a size large enough to cause failure. In order to understand the strength of steel components it is important to find the cracks which eventually grow to cause failures. However, at present, it is not easy to distinguish, in the early stages of growth, the cracks which will grow fast and cause failure. We hypothesized that it may be possible to distinguish them by comparing changes in the magnetic flux density around the tips of those cracks that grew large enough to cause failure. In order to measure these changes in magnetic flux density, we developed a scanning Hall probe microscope and observed the fatigue cracks growing from artificial slits in carbon tool steels (JIS SKS93). We also compared the changes in magnetic flux density around crack tips which grew under different loads and found that there is a strong correlation between the magnetic flux density, crack growth and stress intensity factors. In order to understand this relation, we measured the changes in the magnetic flux density and residual tensile stress by using an X-ray system, and found that the magnetic flux density changes not only in the plastic deformation area but also in the area of elastic stress field with increased stress.

We propose a localized surface plasmon microscope that uses a zeroth-order Bessel beam for the illumination to employ a beam scanning method. The microscope visualizes the refractive index distribution in the optical near-field from a substrate surface by measuring the coupling strength between illumination light and surface plasmons from the light absorption. The beam scanning method utilizing a galvano mirror for the fast scanning axis increases the repetition rate up to 2 kHz. In order to confirm imaging properties of the developed microscope, we observe the point spread function by using a latex particle with the diameter of 175nm. It is revealed that the properties of the observed point spread function coincide with that of the calculated intensity distribution of the electric field.

The development of a spectrally resolving scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) dedicated to the investigation of optical fiber beam is presented.

With the fast development of scanning probe microscope, especially atomic force microscope (AFM), an imaging tool for life sciences researches is provided. Biological species imaging is one of the fundamental studies in life sciences, so it becomes one of the most important applications of AFM imaging. In this paper, AFM images of proteus species separately by contact-mode and intermittent-contact MacMode are obtained and investigated, and also are compared with its image of scanning electron microscope (SEM). Note that flagella are presented in SEM image while no evidence of flagella is observed when proteus species were imaged in AFM. This difference may be having something to do with sample preparation. The other possibility of this difference is that the proteus species which imaged was immature. Moreover, the images by MacMode in liquid medium show the outer surface of proteus species is smooth while the images by contact-mode in air show folding of the surface. The latter has clearly greater resolution than the former.

Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope (PSTM) is a near-field optical microscope that can measure local optical properties with high resolution beyond the diffraction limit and was widely applied in practices in recent years. The resolution of PSTM, which mainly depends on the shape of the taper tip, is an important issue to be discussed in the application. In this paper, the near-field distribution around a new PSTM probe is simulated by the method of 3-D Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD). In this model, a nanometric metallic pyramid is attached at the apex of the metal-coated probe. Considering the interaction between the sample and the probe tip, the near-field distribution in a section at certain height is plotted as a function of the various sample positions. In order to optimize the optical property of this kind of optic fiber probe tip, the influence of the parameters of the taper tip can also be studied. To understand the effect of the probe film and the metal tip, the electromagnetic field distribution in the vicinities of the sample and the fiber probe during the third period is plotted. Thus, these simulated results offer references for the selection of the probe shape in experiments.

New scanning probe microscopy is developed. The microscope has versatile near-field optical microscopy measuring head, built-in controlling computer with network access, powerful embedded software for low-level controlling and convenient software installed on outside computer. Built-in computer and embedded software provide real-time operating of microscope while outside software allows connection, controlling, receiving and processing data from microscope.

We will report on the progress of our project to realize a traceable Scanning Probe Microscope at the Van Swinden Laboratorium of the Nederlands Meetinstituut in the Netherlands. The traceable Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is constructed from a separate AFM head, a 3D translation stage and an accurate 3D laser interferometer system. Nanometer uncertainty can be maintained in the entire scanning volume of 100 μm × 100 μm × 20 μm. Apart from providing direct traceability to the SI unit of length, the coordinates provided by the laser interferometer are also used in a closed loop position feedback controller to realize accurate positioning at arbitrary locations within the volume provided by the translation stage. In this paper we will emphasize the development of the control system.

Using a scanning near-field optical microscope with a metallic probe tip (Fig 1), we investigate the formation of near-field optical images. The scatter-probe is used only for converting an evanescent field to a propagating field and the detection system is in the far-field. This situation models the usual experimental set up employed in scatter-probe near-field microscopy. The calculations of the scattered intensity at constant height were based on an integral equation, method of moments approach.

A coherent scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) is presented. The set-up employs heterodyne interferometry, allowing measurements of both amplitude and phase of the optical field. Experimental results show polarization effects that reveal important information about the vectorial field conversion by the fiber tip.

A near-field optical microscope on the basis of two trapeziform metallic strips on the surface of a dielectric cone is investigated1. It is shown that such construction of a near-field probe significantly improved the optical efficiency of a near-field microscope. The field distribution in the vicinity of probe apex is investigated for this probe and for the usual SNOM probe. On the basis of mathematical simulation it was shown that this type of a near-field microscope is promising for use in optical information recording with pit length less than 200 nm and also for using as optical heating element in magnetic information recording. The construction of a near field microscope for information recording is proposed on the basis of this near-field microscope and a solid immersion lens2. The model of a near field strips probe with cleaved apex is proposed. A method of checking the distance between a probe and the surface on the basis of exciting mechanical vibration of cleaved apex by voltage step is offered. The oscillation amplitude and their attenuation are determined by measuring high-frequency electromagnetic oscillation, which are excited by oscillation of opposite charges at the apex of a probe. The investigation was carried out on the basis of a mathematical model and an experiment is needed for full investigation.

We present experimental results of time-resolved signals of photoconductive (PC) switches with an ultrafast scanning tunneling microscope, which combines ultrashort laser techniques with scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to obtain simultaneous high temporal and spatial resolution. The picosecond electrical transients were generated by optically exciting the photoconductive switch between a high-speed coplanar strip transmission lines. The measured PC switch demonstrated a linear relation between the amplitudes of the time-resolved pulse signals and the photoconductive currents as well as a linear relation between the amplitudes ofthe signals and the bias voltage applied to the PC switch. The resolved transient signal in contact mode showed a FWHM of 3.2 ps, and the transient signals in non-contact mode were from the capacitive coupling between the tip and the coplanar transmission line.

A commercial scanning force microscope (SFM) has been equipped with an additional 3D position measurement system consisting of three miniature laser interferometers. This modification serves to further improve its metrological performance and calibration. This SFM is applied to topographical measurements including several types of calibration. In order to avoid the influence of Abbe errors two new interferometers have been implemented in the SFM. From this results a reduction of the measurement uncertainty. Furthermore, we report on a combination of the SFM including incorporated laser interferometers with a sophisticated detection system of another commercial scanning probe microscope. This enables to analyze further interactions between probe and specimen.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Conventional scanning electron microscopes are now close to the limit of their performance for tasks such as the metrology of sub-micron design rule devices. In order to overcome these limits we are investigating the use of in-line electron holography for device metrology. The in-line holograms are formed in a point projection microscope using ultra-low energy electrons (50-250eV) emitted from a nano-tip electron source. Holograms in the transmission mode and in the reflection mode of the microscope as well are possible. Since these in-line holograms are equivalent to out of focus micrographs acquired in a transmission electron microscope with a field emission gun we can reconstruct the original wave front by means of Fourier optics. The resolution of the point projection microscope is given by the sharpness of the emitter. We investigate the electric potential of the emitter using off-axis electron holography in a transmission electron microscope and compare the results to simulations obtained by solving the appropriate Laplace equation.

The grid method is combined with microscopy for micro deformation measurement. High density grids of 1200 lines/mmare transferred to electronic packaging specimens at high temperature. The residual stress distribution is recorded on thegrid after it was cooled to room temperature. The grid pattern is magnified and digitally recorded with optical microscope(OM), scanning electronic microscope (SEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM) respectively. The recorded gridpatterns are processed with Fourier transform technique. The spatial resolution degrathtion due to Fourier transform isdiscussed. It is found that the upper limit of spatial resolution for displacement measurement is half the grid pitch for gridmethod. Nevertheless the spatial resolution which can be attained is in micron to sub-micron region even with thisdegradation. A comparison on the effect of three microscopy techniques is also carried out.Keywords: Grid method, Fourier transform, electronic packaging, spatial resolution, optical microscope, scanningelectronic microscope, atomic force microscope, thermal stress.

Advanced scanning electron and atomic force microscopy technique have been developed to quantify line-edge and sidewall roughness in patterned resist and silicon feature with nanometer scale accuracy. Both techniques are able to follow small changes in the line-edge roughness. The measurement repeatability of the scanning electron and atomic force microscope was characterized and is 0.1 and 0.6 nm, respectively. Any roughness measured in the single layer resist mask transfers to the underlying silicon throughout a range of pattern transfer conditions. Within the measurement precision, silicon pattern transfer does not appear to decrease or increase the sidewall or line-edge roughness. An attempt to quantify the edge-roughness spatial frequency is discussed. The scanning electron microscope is still recommended over the atomic force microscope for line-edge roughness measurements based on sample throughput.

Remarkable improvement in resolution when observing critical dimensions in semiconductor inspection by using a newly- developed deep-UV optical microscope is presented. At present, while scanning electron microscope (SEM) is the only imaging tool for less than 0.20-micron geometry, improvement in resolution of optical microscope has strongly been desired because of its easier operations and less damage including feature. Simulation of resolution to be achieve indicated that deep-UV wavelength only clearly resolve less than 0.15-micron geometry and images acquired at 266nm in the following experiment well agreed with the simulation. An objective lens especially for deep-UV, laser light source, illumination and imaging optics, and image detection device were built on a conventional microscope stand. This high-resolution microscope may extend the field of optical inspection and even open up new inspection applications.

New method of time-resolved optical study with high spatial resolution using femtosecond laser pulses focused on (metallic) tip of scanning probe microscope is considered. The system may be incorporated, e.g., into the set for pump- supercontinuum probe studies, i.e. the method can give high time, spatial and spectral resolution simultaneously. The last occur to be compatible with uncertainty principle. Excitation of eigenmodes (plasma oscillations) in the system tip- substrate and their field localized near the tip are analyzed. Their excitation by an external electromagnetic field are considered in a system tip-substrate. Drastic amplification of the effective field in the area of nanometer scale under the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope or an atomic force microscope can be used to study linear and nonlinear optical properties of nanostructures with ultrahigh spatial resolution, as well, as for nanolithography.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

We have constructed a high resolution scanning x-ray microscope at the 2-ID-B beamline at the Advanced Photon Source for 1-4 keV x-ray imaging and microspectroscopy experiments. The microscope uses a Fresnel zone plate to focus coherent x-ray undulator radiation to a 150 nm focal spot on a sample. The spectral flux in the focus is 10{sup 8} ph/s/0.1% BW. X-ray photons transmitted by the sample are detected by an avalanche photodiode as the sample is scanned to form an absorption image. The sample stage has both coarse and fine translation axes for raster scanning and a rotation axis for microtomography experiments. The incident x-ray beam energy can also be scanned via the 2-ID-B monochromator while the sample is kept in focus to record spatially resolved absorption spectra. We have measured the performance of the instrument with various test objects. The microscope hardware, software, and performance are discussed in this paper.

In recent years, there have been intense efforts in the study of the physical principles and applications of the scanning near-field optical microscope. Extensive theoretical analyses, numerical simulations, and experimental investigations have been conducted. The results demonstrate that image resolution and contrast depends not only on the aperture size of the probe and the reflection/transmission of the sample, but also on other parameters and experimental conditions. In this paper, the influences of the operating mode, probe-sample interaction, polarization of light, and detector orientation are discussed. Furthermore, the progress on the use of linear systems transfer function for the characterization of image resolution is reviewed. Finally, future directions in research and development are discussed.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

The current trend in the semiconductor industries is to move the reliability tests usually performed at he end of the process flow, towards in the in line monitors. This need opens a new strategic direction for the scanning probe microscopy, permitting to avoid dedicated sample preparation. Among the examples of SPM-scanning tunneling microscope, near-field scanning optical microscope, atomic force microscope, scanning thermal microscope and scanning capacitance microscope - some of them are still under investigation. In this paper a new scanning capacitance microscope able to perform quantitative local in-situ monitor of the silicon oxide properties is being established. The test samples used in this work, were p- doped silicon wafers with a 10 nm oxide layer thermally grown. The tip of the microscope, brought into contact with the sample surface, is biased with a voltage stairs, so local frequency-voltage (F-V) measurements can be performed. Another configuration of the equipment, which allows to measure the flat band voltage of the MOS capacitor as the peak of the derivative F-V curves, is also presented. The measurements methods described above have been compared with standard C-V measurements showing an alternative way to investigate on the presence of defects inside SiO2 without requiring any sample preparation.

Passive and active fiber probes, used for the scanning near- field optical microscope, show different image properties. For the passive fiber probe, a better optical image contrast has been obtained with a parabolic taper than with a linear taper. The reflected fields in different fiber tapers have been discussed. For the active fiber probe, an ASE probe made of Er 3+ -doped fiber has shown a higher efficiency of several times and a lower image noise than the usual passive probe.

A new optical interferometer suitable for the scanning force microscope is presented in this paper. The cantilever itself is used as a micro interferometer element. The deflection of the cantilever is detected by the interference between the geometrical reflected wave and the backward diffracted wave. This interferometer has a very simple structure, fewer optical components, lower cost, and complete common light path. 0.01 nm vertical resolution is gotten by this instrument.

In our biophysical laboratory has been developed a new scanned probe microscope (SPM) for biologicalapplication. The SPM allows to investigate a biological samples' surface by means of three different near field microscopes: scanning tunneling microscope (STM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and near field scanning optical microscope (NSOM). The SPM is very rigid and can be operated in ordinary laboratory without any vibrationisolation. The scanning area of the microscope is about 10 x 10 rim. Some different biological objects werevisualized by means of the 5PM viz. bacteria (E.Coli, plague, cholera, staphylococcus), macromolecules (DNA, plague proteins) and phage (T2).Keywords: scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning optical microscopy, bacterium, biology. In recent years, scan probe microscopy (SPM) has proven to be a very powerful tool for atomic scalesurface studies. In our laboratory have been working for about 10 years at development and application of SPMin various fields of physics and biology. A new versatile SPM has been developed by our grope. The microscopeconsists of a digital control unit and number of various microscopy heads for different near field microscopes:scanning tunneling microscope (STM) atomic force microscope (AFM) 2

One of the fundamental requirements for reliable critical dimension measurement with a scanning probe microscope is stability of the stylus against flexing and against erosion. We report on the wear of an etched optical fiber when scanned across a variety of surfaces. The optical fiber probe tip was used in a novel scanning probe microscope employing a balance beam force sensor.

Theoretically, it is well known that the classical optical microscope resolution, is limited to about 250 nm. Actually, the scanning near-field optical microscopy allow to get over this limit. Using a vibrating opaque metallic tip, which periodically and locally perturbs the electromagnetic field distribution of a focused laser spot in to the sample surface, we have observed with better resolution than the theoretical limit many topographic and optical test object.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

A novel double focus optical interferometer for scanning force microscope is presented in this paper. The deflection of the force sensing cantilever is measured by detecting the phase shift of two orthogonal polarized light beams reflected from the end of the cantilever and a reference plane with a hole in the center. We have tested some samples by using this instrument and gotten some high resolution pictures. The instrument provides 0.1 nm height resolution and 5 nm lateral resolution and is especially applicable in the profilometer of the integral circuit, fine grate, etc.

The near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) has been developed to extract optical information from a nanometric area of sample. The amount of information contained in an NSOM image is potentially vast but it could not yet be fully exploited because of the need for a more complete understanding of the effects of the probe-sample interaction on the imaging process. A better understanding will lead to an unambiguous analysis of an NSOM image and will make the NSOM a reliable imaging tool. In this paper, we present the analysis of NSOM imaging through the numerical calculation based on an electromagnetic-theory-based algorithm,called Finite-Difference Time-Domain method (FDTD).

This contribution is concerned with the question of if the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) or possibly its relatives out of the group of the diverse scanning probe microscopes (SPM) developed in recent years are reliable tools for atomic scale -- or at least nanometric -- modifications of solid state surfaces or for building structures on it, especially for various purposes like (1) high-density memory storage, (2) nanolithography, or more general: (3) nanofabrication and (4) atom and molecule manipulation. From these points of view the last years results are reviewed.

A new confocal scanning beam laser microscope/macroscope is described that combines the rapid scan of a scanning beam laser microscope with the large specimen capability of a scanning stage microscope. This instrument combines an infinity-corrected confocal scanning laser microscope with a scanning laser macroscope that uses a telecentric f*(Theta) laser scan lens to produce a confocal imaging system with a resolution of 0.25 microns at a field of view of 25 microns and 5 microns at a field of view of 75,000 microns. The frame rate is 5 seconds per frame for a 512 by 512 pixel image, and 25 seconds for a 2048 by 2048 pixel image. Applications in fluorescence are discussed that focus on two important advantages of the instrument over a confocal scanning laser microscope: an extremely wide range of magnification, and the ability to image very large specimens. Examples are presented of fluorescence and reflected-light images of high quality printing, fluorescence images of latent fingerprints, packaging foam, and confocal autofluorescence images of a cricket.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

The microstructure of bone is described and formulas are presented, which give us opportunities to assess the mechanical properties in this range. The scanning acoustic microscope is used to image the mechanical structure and to measure the averaged sound velocity of in vitro samples of human bone. It is possible to assess the attenuation of sound waves. The confocal laser scanning microscope use similar principles. By both microscopes the confocal scanning procedure is applied and an example of specimen is imaged. The pictures are shown and their content is discussed and compared. The information about the object structure shows differences depending on the method used.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

A magneto-optic Kerr effect scanning near-field optical microscope is used to image a stripe domain wall in a Co/Pt multilayer sample. The microscope is an improved version of a type previously reported, which uses light scattering from surface plasmons in 20 - 40 nm Ag particles as a near-field probe. Data is presented for both the probe intensity and polarization contrast as a function of probe/sample spacing. Oscillatory behavior in both sets of data is reasonably explained with a simplified model of optical interference.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

A 'stand-alone' Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope combined with an Atomic force Microscope, using a micro-fabricated silicon-nitride probe, is applied to the imaging of field distribution in integrated optical ridge waveguides. The electric field on the waveguide is locally probed by coupling to the evanescent wave. Application to direct observation of TM and TE modal field distributions, both in lateral and vertical direction, mode beating between low and higher order modes, and behavior of a Y-junction wavelength (de)multiplexer is demonstrated.

We have used the near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) to study the inhomogeneity as well as initiate photochemical processes in conjugated polymer films. A simple transmission-mode NSOM is constructed for these studies. A low noise, large area Si photo-detector is mounted directly between the PZT scanning stage and the sample. This method provides a simple way to covert the commercial AFM/STM scanning stage to a near-field optical microscope.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

We present a new method to improve the brightness of tapered fiber probes for near-field scanning optical microscope. The new probes are fabricated by adding high refractive index materials onto the pulled tapered fiber tips before coated with metal. With a tip size of 100 nm, the far-field optical power of the new tapered probe which has 25 nm thickness of zinc sulfide on tip end is about 5 times larger than the same sized traditional fiber probe.

A new confocal scanning beam laser microscope/macroscope is described that combines the rapid scan of a scanning beam laser microscope with the large specimen capability of a scanning stage microscope. This instrument combines an infinity-corrected confocal scanning laser microscope with a scanning laser macroscope that uses a telecentric f*(theta) laser scan lens to produce a confocal imaging system with a resolution of 0.25 microns at a field of view of 50 microns to 5 microns at a field of view of 75,000 microns. The frame rate is 3 seconds per frame for a 512 X 512 pixel image, and 45 seconds for a 2048 X 2048 pixel image. Changes made in the instrument to increase the image capture from 512 X 512 pixels to 2048 X 2048 pixels are described. Applications discussed focus on three important advantages of the instrument over a confocal scanning laser microscope: an extremely wide range of magnification, the ability to record very large data sets, and the ability to image very large specimens. Examples are presented from imaging of fibers in paper, latent fingerprint detection, and reflected-light and photoluminescence imaging of porous silicon.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Advanced technology in the fabrication of submicrometer sized device leads to the realization of near field optical microscopes with super-resolution beyond the diffraction limit [l-4]. A photon scanning tunneling microscope ( PSTM ) is a type of the near field optical microscope picking-up the evanescent light around the sample surface which is generated under total internal reflection and modulated by the sample[5,6] .

During the manufacturing of present-day integrated circuits, certain measurements must be made of the submicrometer structures composing the device with a high degree of precision. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and the various forms of scanning probe microscopies are major microscopical techniques used for submicrometer metrology. New techniques applied to scanning electron microscopy have improved some of the limitations of this technique and time will permit even further improvements. This presentation will review the current state of scanning electron microscope (SEM) metrology in light of many of these recent improvements.

The design and application of scanning probe microscope primarily intended for topographic, magnetic force and magneto-optical investigations of magnetic thin films is described. A microfabricated silicon tip is scanned across the sample of interest, and the tip deflection detected using a modified form of the den Boef twin beam interferometric system. Initial studies of the recorded bit structure in magnetic and magneto-optic storage media, and the magnetic field from a thin film recording head are reported.

Critical dimension metrology of a phase-shifting mask must include depth as well as width measurements because both the phase and the lateral position of the transmitted photons must be controlled. Scanning probe microscopes are well suited to perform these measurements because they achieve high resolution simultaneously in all three dimensions. As with other microscopes, the probe-sample interaction strongly affects critical dimension measurement. The shape of the probe mixes with the measured object in an intrinsically nonlinear manner. We present measurements of phase-shifting masks performed with a scanning force microscope, and we discuss how they illustrate the capabilities and limitations of the technique.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

A new scanning tunneling microscope (STM) for biological application operating at ambient pressure has been developed. Key features of the design are a novel high eigenfrequency scanner and a coarse approach unit. The microscope is symmetric, small, and very rigid which allows us to reduce the thermal drift and avoid any vibration isolation. The performance of the microscope has been tested with evaporated gold film and with graphite. First applications of the STM to coated biological samples are described. A novel method of imaging uncoated biological materials has been developed.

A fundamental study on a magnetic shielding material known as METSHIELD has been conducted. The material is basically a new fabric made of thin ribbons of a metallic glass, amorphous alloy. The study was focused on determining the physical and magnetic properties of the alloy in as received (amorphous) and annealed (crystalline) conditions. Furthermore characterizations of the internal and surface structures of the alloy have been carried out by a transmission electron microscope (TEM) and a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), respectively. A comparison between the internal and surface structures was performed on both as-received and annealed samples. As a result, a correlation between the obtained properties and structures of the material is established.

We have developed magnetic force scanning tunneling microscopy as a powerful tool to analyze magnetic patterns on recording media with sub-micron resolution. The technique employs the interaction of surface magnetic fields with a flexible thin-film magnetic probe. We have made a thorough theoretical analysis of the interaction between the probe and the surface magnetic fields emanating from a typical recorded pattern. Quantitative data about the constituent magnetic fields and the underlying magnetization patterns can then be obtained. We have employed these techniques in studies of two of the most important issues of magnetic recording: data-density and data overwrite. In the course of these studies we have developed new techniques to analyze the magnetic fields of recorded media. These studies are both theoretical and experimental and combined with the use of our magnetic force scanning tunneling microscope should lead to further breakthroughs in the field of magnetic recording.

A high resolution scanning Hall probe microscope is used to spatially resolve vortices in high temperature superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+(delta) crystals. We observe a partially ordered vortex lattice at several different applied magnetic fields and temperatures. At higher temperatures, a limited amount of vortex re-arrangement is observed, but most vortices remain fixed for periods long compared to the imaging time of several hours even at temperatures as high as 75 degree(s)K (the superconducting transition temperature for these crystals is approximately 84 degree(s)K). A measure of these local magnetic penetration depth can be obtained from a fit to the surface field of several neighboring vortices, and has been measured as a function of temperature. In particular, we have measured the zero temperature penetration depth and found it to be 275 +/- 40 nm.