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。     

散射式太赫兹扫描近场光学显微技术研究

基于散射式近场探测原理,设计并搭建了散射式太赫兹扫描近场光学显微系统(THz s-SNOM),实现了纳米量级空间分辨率的太赫兹近场显微成像测量。该系统以输出频率范围为0.1~0.3THz的太赫兹倍频模块为发射源,通过纳米探针的针尖产生纳米光源与样品相互作用,并将样品表面的倏逝波转化为可在远场测量的辐射波。通过探针逐点扫描样品表面,同时获得了样品表面的形貌图和太赫兹近场显微图。该系统的显微分辨率取决于探针针尖的曲率半径,而与太赫兹波的波长无关。使用该系统测量了金薄膜/硅衬底样品和石墨烯样品的近场显微图,结果表明,近场显微的空间分辨率优于60nm,波长与空间分辨率之比高达λ/26000。     

传统光学显微镜与近场光学显微镜

近场光学显微镜是对于常规光学显微镜的革命。它不用光学透镜成像 ,而用探针的针尖在样品表面上方扫描获得样品表面的信息。分析了传统光学显微镜与近场光学显微镜成像原理的物理本质和两种显微镜系统结构的异同点。介绍了光纤探针的制作方法。重点讨论了近场探测原理、光学隧道效应及非辐射场的性质     

新型电化学原子力显微镜的研制

电化学原子力显微镜将电化学分析技术与原子力显微镜结合起来,能对生物传感器,新型电池和电腐蚀进行原位电化学扫描探针显微测量分析。为了实现电化学与扫描探针功能的系统集成,在控制电路设计中采用现场可编程门阵列,提高了系统的可靠性。电化学控制箱与原子力显微镜的头部紧密集成,保证微弱信号不受干扰,并具有多种电化学工作模式。系统具有稳定性好,重复性高,抗干扰能力强等优点。     

原子力与扫描隧道组合显微镜

由大连理工大学物理系研制的原子力与扫描隧道组合显微镜 ( AF/ PSTM) ,9月 2 3日通过了国家教育部组织的鉴定。鉴定委员会对该成果给予了高度评价。该仪器是同时具有纳米分辨原子力显微镜和纳米分辨光学显微镜双重功能图像分解的纳米成像仪器。仪器技术原理是在 AF/ PSTM中设置一个双功能共振光纤尖 ,当光纤尖在样品表面近场扫描时 ,反馈控制等振幅扫描成像 ,一次扫描中 ,同时采集样品的原子力显微镜 AFM图像和光子扫描隧道显微镜PSTM图像。该仪器在分子生物学、医药学、新材料学、集成光学、纳米科技等领域均很有用 ,高校将来甚至…     

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。     

近场扫描光学显微镜和光子扫描隧道显微镜

近场扫描光学显微镜和光子扫描隧道显微镜＊王佳（清华大学精密仪器系北京１０００８４）０引言自从８０年代初扫描隧道显微镜ＳＴＭ发明以来，扫描探针显微术ＳＰＭ已经发展成具有十几种类型的系列技术。其中引人注目的是以近场扫描光学显微镜ＮＳＯＭ和光子扫描隧道显微...     

近场光学显微镜及其在生物膜方面的应用

本文首先介绍近场光学显微镜的基本原理,然后介绍近场光学显微镜与传统光学显微镜、原子力显微镜、扫描隧道显微镜相比,在生物膜研究方面的优势。并在此基础上着重介绍近场光学显微镜在生物膜方面的应用。     

石英音叉扫描探针显微镜

石英音叉是一种谐振频率稳定、品质因数高的时基器件,其音叉臂的谐振参数(谐振振幅和谐振频率)对微力极其敏感。利用石英音叉对外力的敏感性,与钨探针结合,构成一种新型的表面形貌扫描测头。该测头与xyz压电工作台结合,利用测头音叉臂谐振频率对扫描微力的敏感性,研制基于相位反馈控制的扫描探针显微镜。首先介绍石英音叉测头的构成、工作原理和特性测试,以及由该测头构建的扫描探针显微镜的结构和测试、分析。通过对测头和系统的测试结果分析,系统达到1.2 nm的垂直分辨率,并通过对一维栅的测量,给出扫描获得的试样表面微观形貌图以及相位图,证明系统的有效性。另外,由于采用大长径比的钨探针,该系统具有测量大深宽比微器件表面轮廓的能力。     

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。     

Resolution enhancing using cantilevered tip-on-aperture silicon probe in scanning near-field optical microscopy

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) achieves a resolution beyond the diffraction limit of conventional optical microscopy systems by utilizing subwavelength aperture probe scanning. A problem associated with SNOM is that the light throughput decreases markedly as the aperture diameter decreases. Apertureless scanning near-field optical microscopes obtain a much better resolution by concentrating the light field near the tip apex. However, a far-field illumination by a focused laser beam generates a large background scattering signal. Both disadvantages are overcome using the tip-on-aperture (TOA) approach, as presented in previous works. In this study, a finite difference time domain analysis of the degree of electromagnetic field enhancement is performed to verify the efficiency of TOA probes. For plasmon enhancement, silver is deposited on commercially available cantilevered SNOM tips with 20nm thicknesses. To form the aperture and TOA in the probes, electron beam-induced deposition and focused ion beam machining were applied at the end of the sharpened tip. The results show that cantilevered TOA probes were highly efficient for improvements of the resolution of optical and topological measurement of nanostructures.     

Shear force imaging of DNA in a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM)

A near-field scanning optical module has been constructed as an accessory for a Nanoscope IIIa commercial scanning probe microscope. Distance feedback and topographic registration are accomplished with an uncoated optical fibre scanning tip by implementation of the shear force technique. The tip is driven by a piezoelectric actuator at a resonance frequency of 8–80 kHz. A laser diode beam is scattered by the tip and detected by a split photodiode, with lock-in detection of the difference signal. The amplitude ( r ) and phase (τ) responses were characterized as a function of the calibrated tip–sample separation. Using an r cos τ feedback signal, imaging of pUC18 relaxed circular plasmid DNA spread on mica precoated with cetylpyridinium chloride was achieved. The apparent width (28 ± 5 nm) was approximately four times that achieved by scanning force measurements with the same instrument; the apparent height of the DNA (0.6 ± 0.3 nm) was similar with the two techniques. These results demonstrate the applicability of the shear force signal for imaging biological macromolecules according to topography and in conjunction with the optical signals of a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM).     

Probe design optimization for a high-resolution scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope

The scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) has a probe with a sharp tip for use in high resolution imaging. As sharp a tip as possible is generally considered ideal for the observations, but actually, a sharp tip does not always provide a high resolution SNOM image. We numerically examined the scattering property of the SNOM probe by the three dimensional finite difference time domain method. In this paper, we show the criterion for the ideal scattering probe which satisfies the simple relation between radius and taper angle of the tip.     

Detection of an infrared near-field optical signal by attaching an infrared-excitable phosphor to the end of a photocantilever

To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of near-field scanning optical microscopy, we propose attaching an infrared-excitable phosphor (IEP) to a photocantilever. One source of noise is the light scattered from locations on the sample surface other than that of the probe tip. By detecting only the light scattered from the tip, we can obtain a near-field optical signal without noise. We attached an IEP particle to a photocantilever to convert infrared light to visible light and we used 1550-nm infrared illumination, so the light scattered from the sample was only infrared. The silicon photodiode of the photocantilever is 10(6) times less sensitive to infrared light than to visible light. As a result, only the converted visible light from the IEP particle, i.e. the signal containing the near-field optical information from the tip, was detected. We verified that the photocantilever detected the signal in the evanescent light produced by infrared illumination and that the detected signal was the light converted by the IEP. The experimental results show the feasibility of detecting infrared light and not the background light through the use of the IEP.     

Detection of an infrared near-field optical signal by attaching an infrared-excitable phosphor to the end of a photocantilever

To improve the signal-to-noise ratio of near-field scanning optical microscopy, we propose attaching an infrared-excitable phosphor (IEP) to a photocantilever. One source of noise is the light scattered from locations on the sample surface other than that of the probe tip. By detecting only the light scattered from the tip, we can obtain a near-field optical signal without noise. We attached an IEP particle to a photocantilever to convert infrared light to visible light and we used 1550-nm infrared illumination, so the light scattered from the sample was only infrared. The silicon photodiode of the photocantilever is 10⁶ times less sensitive to infrared light than to visible light. As a result, only the converted visible light from the IEP particle, i.e. the signal containing the near-field optical information from the tip, was detected. We verified that the photocantilever detected the signal in the evanescent light produced by infrared illumination and that the detected signal was the light converted by the IEP. The experimental results show the feasibility of detecting infrared light and not the background light through the use of the IEP.     

Optical-fibre scanning near-field optical microscope for cryogenic operation

We have developed a new type of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) utilizing optical fibres. The probe tip is controlled by shear force feedback with a fibre interferometer and signal light is collected directly by a multimode fibre. These features make the SNOM head more compact and less sensitive to vibration. Further advantages of this new type of SNOM are that it obviates the need for optical windows in the cryostat and offers easy optical alignment.     

Optical-fibre scanning near-field optical microscope for cryogenic operation

We have developed a new type of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) utilizing optical fibres. The probe tip is controlled by shear force feedback with a fibre interferometer and signal light is collected directly by a multimode fibre. These features make the SNOM head more compact and less sensitive to vibration. Further advantages of this new type of SNOM are that it obviates the need for optical windows in the cryostat and offers easy optical alignment.     

Inverse estimation of the tapered probe-sample shear force of scanning near-field optical microscope

In this paper, the conjugate gradient method of minimization with an adjoint equation is successfully applied to solve the inverse problem in estimating the shear force between the tapered probe and sample during the scanning process of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). While knowing the available deflection at the tapered probe tip, the determination of the interaction shear force is regarded as an inverse vibration problem. In the estimating processes, no prior information on the functional form of the unknown quantity is required. The accuracy of the inverse analysis is examined by using the simulated exact and inexact measurements of deflection at the tapered probe tip. Numerical results show that good estimations on the interaction shear force can be obtained for all the test cases considered in this study.     

Analysis of the measured signals in apertureless near-field optical microscopy

We present an analytical model able to explain the optical signal recorded during our experimental approach curves in the infrared at a wavelength lambda=10.6 microm, with a home-made apertureless near-field scanning optical microscope ANSOM. This model uses classical electrodynamics to calculate the scattering cross section of the oscillating tip, considered as a dipole, and its dielectric image in the sample as a function of the tip-sample separation from the near-field to the far-field regime. The dipoles are placed in a non-uniform electric field because of the standing wave arising from the interference between the incident and the specular laser beams. We also added a background field coming from a scatterer on the surface in order to account for zeroing of the optical signal for particular tip-sample separation and interference patterns.