Scanning probe microscope

摘要

A scanning type tunnel microscope comprises a combination of an optical microscope with a tunnel scanning unit. The tunnel scanning unit is equipped with a probe held with a predetermined spacing from a sample placed on a sample mount in an axial direction and an actuator which moves the sample mount and the probe in the axial direction to bring them close to a tunnel region, and drives them relatively and three-dimensionally. An objective lens and the probe are disposed in such a manner that the center axis of the probe of the scanning tunnel unit is in agreement with the optical axis of the objective lens of the optical microscope. STM observation of the surface of the sample is made by moving the sample and the probe in the axial direction to bring them into the tunnel region and effecting scanning in the surface direction while moving them little by little in the axial direction in such a manner as to keep a tunnel current constant. Focusing is made by moving the objective lens of the optical microscope in the axial direction and a field of vision on the STM observation surface is observed as an optical microscope image through an eyepiece.