SPIN POLARIZATION SCAN TUNNELING MICROSCOPE

摘要

PURPOSE: To detect surface magnetic development with a resolution close to an atom level by providing a tunnel tip arranged so that it faces the surface of a sample to be inspected with a gap of 0.1-10nm. CONSTITUTION: A tip 10 is made of an optically transparent material such as glass and is covered with a thin layer 11 of gallium arsenide. The tip 10 is placed near the surface of a magnetic medium 12 such as a magnetic thin film 13 that covers a basement 14. In this case, three operation modes exist, and a light energy hv is supplied from a reverse side through the tip 10 (1), from a side surface at an angle of 6 (2), and from an area below a magnetic thin film 13 (3). The domain structure of a magnetic surface can be inspected with an extremely high resolution by any one of the three modes.