Scanning type near field interatomic force microscope

摘要

A scanning type near field interatomic force microscope of the type having a hook-shaped probe formed of a light transmitting material and having a sharpened tip portion with a transmitting hole for transmitting light, the probe being disposed over and moved relative to a sample surface for simultaneously measuring the shape of the surface of the sample and the optical characteristics of a minute region of the surface of the sample by scanning over the surface of the sample under a state in which the distance between the tip portion of the probe and the surface of the sample is within an operation distance in which an interatomic force acts between the tip portion of the probe and the surface of the sample. A quartz oscillator is attached to a shaft portion of the probe and has electrodes. A detection circuit detects a change in the resonance characteristics of the oscillator caused by the interatomic force acting between the tip portion of the probe and the surface of the sample. An XYZ scanner is used for maintaining a constant distance between the tip portion of the probe and the surface of the sample on the basis of a detection signal outputted from the detection circuit.