太赫兹近场光学亚表面检测技术研究

研究了太赫兹散射式扫描近场光学显微镜（Terahertz scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy,THz s-SNOM）对亚表面金属微纳结构的显微成像检测。首次采用自主搭建的THz s-SNOM系统对表面覆盖了六方氮化硼薄膜的金微米线进行太赫兹近场显微测量,获得了具有纳米量级空间分辨率和较高对比度的近场显微图。结合全波数值模拟,分析了THz s-SNOM探测亚表面金属微纳结构的空间分辨率、近场散射信号强度和成像对比度。研究表明,THz s-SNOM具有优良的亚表面显微成像检测能力,可应用于微纳电子器件的亚表面结构表征和缺陷检测。     

太赫兹光致力近场显微成像技术及应用研究

设计并搭建了太赫兹光致力显微成像系统(THz PiFM),首次在太赫兹波段实现了近场光力纳米显微成像测量。该系统基于原子力显微镜,利用探针对所受力的灵敏检测能力,通过探测探针与样品之间近场偶极相互作用产生的光场梯度力,实现无探测器的太赫兹近场显微成像。利用该系统,对可见光激发下的单层MoS₂晶粒进行了近场纳米显微成像表征,并分析了晶粒边缘近场光力信号增强的机制。研究结果表明,THz PiFM对二维材料中的载流子具有高灵敏的探测能力。与传统的太赫兹近场显微成像技术相比,THz PiFM无需太赫兹探测器,而且可获得更加优越的空间分辨率和成像信噪比,是一种低成本、高性能的新型太赫兹近场显微成像技术。     

单层MoS2和WS2的太赫兹近场显微成像研究

采用太赫兹散射式扫描近场光学显微镜(THz s-SNOM)研究了化学气相沉积法制备的单层MoS₂和WS₂晶粒的太赫兹近场响应。在没有可见光激发时,未探测到可分辨的太赫兹近场响应,说明晶粒具有较低的掺杂载流子浓度。有可见光激发时,由于光生载流子的太赫兹近场响应,能够测得与晶粒轮廓完全吻合的太赫兹近场显微图。在相同的光激发条件下,MoS₂的太赫兹近场响应强于WS₂,反映了两者之间载流子浓度或迁移率的差异。研究结果表明,THz s-SNOM兼具超高的空间分辨率和对光生载流子的灵敏探测能力,对二维半导体材料和器件光电特性的微观机理研究具有独特的优势。     

半导体载流子分布的太赫兹近场显微表征

基于自建的太赫兹散射型扫描近场显微镜系统（THz s-SNOM）,研究了其在显微表征半导体载流子浓度分布中的应用。对基于半导体硅的静态随机存取存储器（SRAM）的纳米结构进行了近场显微成像测量,并采用可见光调控本征硅样品表面的载流子浓度,实现了不同浓度（10¹⁴～10¹⁷ cm⁻³）光生载流子的近场检测。结果表明,此THz s-SNOM能够对半导体微纳结构的载流子分布进行高空间分辨率的显微表征,测量结果与基于偶极子模型的计算结果具有较好的吻合度。     

一种基于剪切力的距离控制方法在扫描近场光学显微镜中的应用

介绍了扫描近场光学显微镜中基于剪切力的样品、探针间距离控制的方法。当受振动激励的光纤探针由远处逐渐接近样品表面时,样品与针尖间的剪切力使针尖的振动振幅减小,通过检测探针振幅的变化从而控制针尖与样品间的距离。此种方法可以方便地将光纤探针导入工作区域内并在扫描过程中保持适当的高度。我们测量了探针系统的幅频特性和力曲线,并用该方法获得4μm×4μm的范围内光盘表面的形貌信息。     

散射型近场扫描光学显微镜的探针振动参数优化研究

基于原子力显微镜平台设计了可见-近红外波段的散射型近场扫描光学显微镜,通过理论模型计算和实验测量,分析了散射探针振动的调制振幅和扫描反馈幅值对近场信号的影响。研究表明:与探针针尖尺寸相近的调制振幅有利于抑制背景散射噪声及优化近场信号的信噪比;当探针扫描反馈幅值与自由空间调制振幅之比大于90%时,可基本消除探针扫描过程中非简谐振动对近场成像测量的影响。     

一种提高太赫兹波成像分辨力的方法

成像分辨力低是影响太赫兹波成像系统在质检、安全和医疗领域应用的重要因素之一。用返波管（BWO）作为太赫兹波辐射源搭建了一个连续太赫兹波点扫描透射成像系统。采用扫描步长小于系统聚焦光斑尺寸的方式获得样品物体的太赫兹透射图像,并利用增量维纳滤波法对该图像进行复原获得了超过系统衍射极限分辨力的太赫兹图像。实验结果表明该方法可以有效提高太赫兹波成像的空间分辨力。     

太赫兹超表面近场等离子体涡旋偏移器件设计

为了提升太赫兹（terahertz,THz）通讯容量,设计了一种基于单层超表面的激发近场等离子体涡旋偏移的太赫兹器件。基于几何相位超表面,采用FITD（时域有限积分）软件,对该器件的近场涡旋偏移进行了仿真研究。结果表明,所设计的器件在圆偏振光的入射下,能够实现空间任意位置的偏移。该类功能器件在一定程度上提升了太赫兹通讯容量,可应用于6G技术中。     

基于单层超表面的双频太赫兹波线偏振变圆偏振转换器

提出了一种基于单层超表面的双频太赫兹波线偏振变圆偏振转换器。该偏振转换器采用两个不同尺寸的十字型金属缝阵列结构形成两个线偏振变圆偏振转换频点,从而实现双频的太赫兹波线偏振变圆偏振转换。计算结果表明,设计的偏振转换器能在0.760THz和1.068THz将一束线偏振太赫兹波转换为圆偏振太赫兹波。该双频的线偏振变圆偏振转换器仅由单层的超表面组成,结构简单易于制备,因而为操控电磁波和设计新颖的太赫兹波器件提供了参照。     

周期性结构的石墨烯对太赫兹波的吸收特性研究

针对在六角孔形周期性结构阵列铜网上生长而成的石墨烯,对其在太赫兹波段的吸收进行了研究与讨论。用太赫兹时域光谱耦合系统对石墨烯样品进行检测,检测结果表明,在0.7~1.4THz范围内,因石墨烯样品含有的杂质增强了对太赫兹波的吸收,进而增大了整体的吸收率,所以片状石墨烯样品的吸收率约为4%,比以往文献中记载的2.3%高。因部分太赫兹波被石墨烯周期性结构形成的等离子带吸收,还有少部分太赫兹波被周期性结构干涉和散射,周期性结构石墨烯的吸收率增大了约1.5倍。     

A compact CCD‐monitored atomic force microscope with optical vision and improved performances

A novel CCD‐monitored atomic force microscope (AFM) with optical vision and improved performances has been developed. Compact optical paths are specifically devised for both tip‐sample microscopic monitoring and cantilever's deflection detecting with minimized volume and optimal light‐amplifying ratio. The ingeniously designed AFM probe with such optical paths enables quick and safe tip‐sample approaching, convenient and effective tip‐sample positioning, and high quality image scanning. An image stitching method is also developed to build a wider‐range AFM image under monitoring. Experiments show that this AFM system can offer real‐time optical vision for tip‐sample monitoring with wide visual field and/or high lateral optical resolution by simply switching the objective; meanwhile, it has the elegant performances of nanometer resolution, high stability, and high scan speed. Furthermore, it is capable of conducting wider‐range image measurement while keeping nanometer resolution. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:931–935, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The tetrahedral tip as a probe for scanning near-field optical microscopy at 30 nm resolution

The tetrahedral tip is introduced as a new type of a probe for scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). Probe fabrication, its integration into a scheme of an inverted photon scanning tunnelling microscope and imaging at 30 nm resolution are shown. A purely optical signal is used for feedback control of the distance of the scanning tip to the sample, thus avoiding a convolution of the SNOM image with other simultaneous imaging modes such as force microscopy. The advantages of this probe seem to be a very high efficiency and its potential for SNOM at high lateral resolution below 30 nm.     

Writing subwavelength-sized structures into aluminium films by thermo-chemical aperture-less near-field optical microscopy

An optical near-field at the tip of an atomic force microscope probe is utilised to pattern aluminium thin films on glass substrates by photo-thermally induced corrosion in water. Aluminium forms a thin passivating oxide layer when immersed into neutral water at room temperature. Owing to the high energy density of the near-field, the metal below the probe tip can be heated to 100°C due to absorption of the light, which then provokes breakdown of the passivation and metal corrosion. The localised near-field is generated by tip-induced enhancement of an evanescent field originating from a laser beam, that is totally internally reflected at the glass–aluminium–water interface. The process is governed by surface plasmons excited in the aluminium film by the evanescent waves and the field enhancement of the probe tip. Holes of 40 nm diameter and lines below 100 nm width have been written into a 20-nm-thick aluminium film. Applications of the scanning probe lithography process may include the one-step fabrication of point contacts or contact masks for near-field optical lithography and reactive ion etching.     

High-resolution scanning near-field EBIC microscopy: application to the characterisation of a shallow ion implanted p+-n silicon junction

High-resolution electron beam induced current (EBIC) analyses were carried out on a shallow ion implanted p⁺–n silicon junction in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) hybrid system. With this scanning near-field EBIC microscope, a sample can be conventionally imaged by SEM, its local topography investigated by SPM and high-resolution EBIC image simultaneously obtained. It is shown that the EBIC imaging capabilities of this combined instrument allows the study of p–n junctions with a resolution of about 20 nm.     

Optical near fields as photon-matter interacting systems

A quantum theoretical formulation of an optical near-field system developed using the projection operator method is shown to be applicable to conventional problems in the optical near field in a unified way, and also addresses different quantum mechanical issues such as atom manipulation and nano-fabrication. To gain a clear insight, the effective mass of exciton-polaritons is introduced; this depends on the sizes of the probe tip and sample. We calculate the optical near-field intensity detected by (a) a probe sphere and (b) tapered probe modelled by two spheres. The results show that the size of the probe tip determines the spatial resolution, while the contribution of the tapered part causes degradation of the signal contrast. A size–resonance effect between the probe and sample is predicted. Furthermore, enhancement of the signal intensity is observed at the edges of a circular aperture perpendicular to incident polarization. These results are consistent with those obtained from different methods. The approach employed is shown to be a valuable tool in physical understanding and analysis of the near-field optical phenomena as well as experimental situations.     

High-resolution constant-height imaging with apertured silicon cantilever probes

We present high-resolution aperture probes based on non-contact silicon atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers for simultaneous AFM and near-infrared scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). For use in near-field optical microscopy, conventional AFM cantilevers are modified by covering their tip side with an opaque aluminium layer. To fabricate an aperture, this metal layer is opened at the end of the polyhedral probe using focused ion beams (FIB). Here we show that apertures of less than 50 nm can be obtained using this technique, which actually yield a resolution of about 50 nm, corresponding to λ/20 at the wavelength used. To exclude artefacts induced by distance control, we work in constant-height mode. Our attention is particularly focused on the distance dependence of resolution and to the influence of slight cantilever bending on the optical images when scanning at such low scan heights, where first small attractive forces exerted on the cantilever become detectable.     

Development of eddy current microscopy for high resolution electrical conductivity imaging using atomic force microscopy

We present a high resolution electrical conductivity imaging technique based on the principles of eddy current and atomic force microscopy (AFM). An electromagnetic coil is used to generate eddy currents in an electrically conducting material. The eddy currents generated in the conducting sample are detected and measured with a magnetic tip attached to a flexible cantilever of an AFM. The eddy current generation and its interaction with the magnetic tip cantilever are theoretically modeled using monopole approximation. The model is used to estimate the eddy current force between the magnetic tip and the electrically conducting sample. The theoretical model is also used to choose a magnetic tip-cantilever system with appropriate magnetic field and spring constant to facilitate the design of a high resolution electrical conductivity imaging system. The force between the tip and the sample due to eddy currents is measured as a function of the separation distance and compared to the model in a single crystal copper. Images of electrical conductivity variations in a polycrystalline dual phase titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) sample are obtained by scanning the magnetic tip-cantilever held at a standoff distance from the sample surface. The contrast in the image is explained based on the electrical conductivity and eddy current force between the magnetic tip and the sample. The spatial resolution of the eddy current imaging system is determined by imaging carbon nanofibers in a polymer matrix. The advantages, limitations, and applications of the technique are discussed.     

Non-optical tip–sample distance control method for scanning near-field optical microscopy using a piezoresistive micro cantilever

A piezoresistive micro cantilever is applied to monitor the displacement of an optical fibre probe and to control tip–sample distance. The piezoresistive cantilever was originally made for a self-sensitive atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe and has dimensions of 400 µm length, 50 µm width and 5 µm thickness with a resistive strain sensor at the bottom of the cantilever. We attach the piezoresistive cantilever tip to the upper side of a vibrating bent optical fibre probe and monitor the resistance change amplitude of the strain sensor caused by the optical fibre displacement. By using this resistance change to control the tip–sample distance, the two-cantilever system successfully provides topographic and near-field optical images of standard samples in a scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM)/AFM system. A resonant characteristic of the two-cantilever system is also simulated using a mechanical model, and the results of simulation correspond to the experimental results of resonance characteristics.     

A novel STM-assisted microwave microscope with capacitance and loss imaging capability

We report a new technique of scanning capacitance microscopy at microwave frequencies. A near field scanning microwave microscope probe is kept at a constant height of about 1 nm above the sample with the help of scanning tunneling microscope (STM) feedback. The microwaves are incident onto the sample through a coaxial resonator that is terminated at one end with a sharp tip (the same tip is used to conduct STM), and capacitively coupled to a feedback circuit and microwave source at the other end. The feedback circuit keeps the source locked onto the resonance frequency of the resonator and outputs the frequency shift and quality factor change due to property variations of the sample. The spatial resolution due to capacitance variations is congruent with 2.5 nm. The microwave microscope is sensitive to sample sheet resistance, as demonstrated through measurements on a doped silicon sample. We develop a quantitative transmission line model treating the tip to sample interaction as a series combination of capacitance and sheet resistance in the sample.