Light emission induced by tunneling electrons from surface nanostructures observed by novel conductive and transparent probes

We have developed an ultrahigh-vacuum low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) equipped with a near-field optical detection system using novel conductive and optically transparent probes. Tunneling-electron induced photons generated in a nanometer-scale area just under the STM probe can be collected directly into the core of the optical fiber probe within the optical near-field region. Firstly, optical fiber probes coated with indium-tin-oxide thin film are applied to quantitative analysis of p-type GaAs(110) surface, where a decrease of light emission in photon mapping clearly extracts the existence of Zn accepter atoms located at the sub-surface layers. Secondly, in order to enhance the efficiency for inelastic tunneling excitation of a tip-induced plasmon mode, a STM probe coated with an Ag/ITO dual-layer film has been developed and applied to an Ag(111) surface, where photon mapping with a step resolution has been achieved by near-field detection.     

Near-field fluorescence imaging and simultaneous observation of surface potentials

We present a new detection method to measure simultaneously surface potential and fluorescence intensity distributions using a combined scanning near-field optical microscope-atomic force microscope (SNOM-AFM). A surface potential image of phospholipid monolayers was obtained in non-contact mode using the SNOM-AFM with a thin-step etched optical fibre probe. For applying this technique, a phospholipid of dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine labelled at the head with a nitrobenzoxadiazole group was used as a fluorescent and single component Langmuir–Blodgett film. It is well known that aggregation of the lipid molecules and their fluorescence intensities are very sensitive to its environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature. We demonstrated for the first time the near-field optical imaging and simultaneous observation of surface potentials with Maxwell stress microscopy.     

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.     

Applicability of deconvolution and nonlinear optimization for reconstructing optical images from near-field optical microscope images

We have made a computer reconstruction of a nanometric optical image of a sample from an observed near-field optical image. The near-field microscope image used for investigation was obtained numerically in three dimensions with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The sample is dielectric substrate containing nanometric two strips made of dielectric or metal. Deconvolution with non-negativity constraint is used to reconstruct the nanometric structure of dielectric strips, while nonlinear optimization is used to reconstruct the metallic strips. The difference in choice of reconstruction method between two samples comes from the difference in degree of interaction or multiple scattering of the sample structure and the probe. It is shown in the results, the resolution limit attainable in deconvolution is as fine as the size of aperture of probe.     

Photoconductive imaging in a photon scanning tunnelling microscope capable of point-contact current sensing using a conductive fibre probe

A photoconductive photon scanning tunnelling microscope was developed to investigate the point-contact photoconductive properties of condensed matter. In order to detect the current and the optical signal at a local point on a surface, we coated the edge of a bent type fibre probe with indium tin oxide. Thus it was possible to measure both photocurrent and optical property with subwavelength resolution. The performance of the novel microscope was evaluated by analysing an organic thin film of copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), which is known to be an efficient photoconductive material. Photocurrent and current–voltage characteristics were observed at the local point on the CuPc thin films. Furthermore, photoconductive images were obtained with topography and near-field optical imaging using this system. The photoconductive PSTM shows potential in various areas of future optics and electronics.     

State-selective optical near-field resonant ionization spectroscopy of atoms near a dielectric surface

Spin-sensitive optical near-field microscopy and spectroscopy are proposed based on the study on the conserved quantities in optical near-field interactions of atoms with dielectric surfaces. A two-step photoionization spectra of Cs atoms resolving hyperfine structures are demonstrated near a planar dielectric surface by using evanescent waves. These techniques of state/spin-selective excitation and highly sensitive detection, combined with the techniques of optical pumping, will open up possibilities of space- and polarization-sensitive detection of optical near‐fields using atomic probes. This novel method provides us with a useful technique for the observation of polarization nature of the optical near-field and controlling the spin states of mesoscopic electronic systems.     

Spatial distribution and polarization dependence of the optical near-field in a silicon microfabricated probe

This paper reports on the spatial distribution and polarization behaviour of the optical near-field at the aperture of a Si micromachined probe. A sub-100 nm aperture at the apex of a SiO₂ tip on a Si cantilever was successfully fabricated by selective etching of the SiO₂ tip in a buffered-HF solution using a thin Cr film as a mask. The aperture, 10–100 nm in size, can be reproducibly fabricated by optimizing the etching time. The optical throughput of several apertures was measured. For a 100 nm aperture, a throughput of 1% was approved. The probe shows a very high optical throughput owing to the geometrical structure of the tip. The spatial distribution of the near-field light is measured and simulated using a finite difference-time domain method. The polarization behaviour of apertures with different shapes was analysed using a photon counting camera system.     

Near-field optical photomask repair with a femtosecond laser

We present a high-resolution near-field optical tool designed for repair of opaque defects in binary photomasks. Both instrument design and near-field imaging and patterning results will be presented. Designed for ablative processing of thin metal films, the MR-100 incorporates an industrial amplified femtosecond laser, third harmonic generator and built-in autocorrelator. The ultrashort duration of the femtosecond pulses enables the tool to remove chrome layers with negligible damage to the surrounding metal or the underlying quartz substrate. The micropipette based near-field writing head can deliver power densities of hundreds of GW/cm2 to spots of several hundred nanometres and below. Repairs on sample masks will be presented and the repair quality will be discussed.     

扫描近场光学显微镜对细胞超微结构的研究

扫描近场光学显微镜(SNOM)突破了光学显微镜的衍射极限,在细胞研究中具有高灵敏性、无侵入性等优点,已经广泛的应用于生物学研究中。本文综述了SNOM在细胞膜、细胞器、细胞精细结构和单分子探测等领域的研究进展,介绍了扫描近场光学显微镜结合量子点的方法,并对其应用前景做了展望,对其面临困难做了概述。作为一种研究工具,SNOM在生物领域的应用还远远不足。     

Near-field optical photomask repair with a femtosecond laser

We present a high-resolution near-field optical tool designed for repair of opaque defects in binary photomasks. Both instrument design and near-field imaging and patterning results will be presented. Designed for ablative processing of thin metal films, the MR-100 incorporates an industrial amplified femtosecond laser, third harmonic generator and built-in autocorrelator. The ultrashort duration of the femtosecond pulses enables the tool to remove chrome layers with negligible damage to the surrounding metal or the underlying quartz substrate. The micropipette based near-field writing head can deliver power densities of hundreds of GW/cm² to spots of several hundred nanometres and below. Repairs on sample masks will be presented and the repair quality will be discussed.     

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.     

镀膜光纤探针近场捕获的模拟与实验

为提高近场捕获的能力与灵活性,研究了一种利用镀膜光纤探针对纳米微粒进行近场捕获的方法.采用麦克斯韦应力张量和三维时域有限差分方法建立了近场中纳米微粒的作用力模型,通过光阱力与其他作用力的比较讨论了近场捕获的稳定性,并根据各轴向光阱力的分布情况分析了纳米微粒的捕获尺寸与捕获位置.结果表明,只有当微粒尺寸小于探针孔径时才存...     

基于数字图像处理的印刷电路板缺陷检测

针对传统PCB检测方法高成本、低效率问题,提出一种基于数字图像处理的PCB板自动光学检测方法,建立了将标准图像和待测图像进行对比的检测系统。针对PCB板生产过程中遇到的短路、断路、空洞、凸起、凹陷等缺陷,采用了求连通区域数、计算欧拉数、求缺陷区域面积等方法,来检测上述缺陷问题,并给出算法的全过程。经实验结果分析,该方法能准确地检测出待检测电路板上存在的缺陷,达到了自动实时检测的目的。     

Shear force distance control in near-field optical microscopy: experimental evidence of the frictional probe-sample interaction

The properties of the probe-surface contact for a near-field optical microscope driven in the shear force mode have been studied applying lateral amplitudes of the probing fiber tip larger than 15 nm. Electric current measurements between a conductive tip and a conductive sample reveal a pulsed current behavior at the very beginning of the approach curve. In the upper part of the approach curve it turns to the quasiconstant current. From this observation a conclusion is drawn about the presence of permanent mechanical contact between the probe and the surface in the shear force mode. A shift of the approach curve along the z-axis as a function of dither amplitude was discovered. These results are in contradiction to the established conception of possible physical mechanisms of shear force interaction. To settle this issue the friction model is proposed according to which the damping of the probe vibrations is caused by the friction between the tip and the surface.     

工艺参数和沉积方法对ZnS／YbF3薄膜缺陷的影响

研究了不同沉积方式和工艺参数对沉积在K 9基底上的单层ZnS、Y bF3薄膜和多层ZnS/Y bF3薄膜缺陷的影响,发现基底温度和蒸发速率等工艺参数对缺陷的产生有较大的影响,太高或太低的基底温度和蒸发速率都会导致缺陷增加,采用电子束蒸发和蒸发源形状不同的阻蒸蒸发方式,缺陷密度分布有较大的差异。通过比较不同蒸发方式和工艺参数所镀薄膜的缺陷密度,找到了现有工艺条件下缺陷密度最小的最佳蒸发方式和工艺参数。     

Near-field optical microscope working on TEM wave

A new type of probe for the near-field optical microscope incorporating metallic strips on the surface of a dielectric cone (microstrip probe) is proposed. The numerical simulation has shown a significant improvement in optical efficiency for this type of probe compared with the conventional probe. It was found theoretically that scanning near-field optics with the microstrip probe is promising for applications in optical information recording and can be employed as optical heating elements in magnetic information recording. Application of the microstrip probe in nonlinear optical research of nanoscaled medium is possible due to strong electric and magnetic field near the aperture and weak dependence of its transmission parameters on the frequency of the incident beam. A model for the near-field strip probe with cleaved apex is proposed. A method is presented to control the distance between the probe apex and sample surface based on mechanical vibrations of the cleaved apex excited by applying voltage pulses. The oscillation amplitude and attenuation can be determined by measuring the amplitude of microwave radiation excited by oscillations of charges with opposite sign at the probe apex. The investigation was based on mathematical models and experiments necessary to confirm the theoretical prediction.     

Characterization of Alq3 thin films by a near-field microwave microprobe

We observed tris-8-hydroxyquinoline aluminum (Alq3) thin films dependence on substrate heating temperatures by using a near-field microwave microprobe (NFMM) and by optical absorption at wavelengths between 200 and 900nm. The changes of absorption intensity at different substrate heating temperatures are correlated to the changes in the sheet resistance of Alq3 thin films.     

基于辐射压力控制的微型元件的加工与检测

We have been developing new fabrication tools based on optical radiation pressur e and related phenomena to develop aflexible and accurate microfabrication tec hnology. In this paper, the laser trapping probe for the nano-CMM for assessment, in addition to micromachining technique using a small particle controlled by optical radiation pressure and laser aggregation technique are discussed. As the positional detection probe for the nano-CMM, an optically trapped silica particle with 8 mm diameter in forced oscillation state is used. A probe sphere retains a stable position when applied with trapping force by Nd:YAG laser light formed an nu lar and is forced to oscillate by the driving force changed by modulating the in tensity of LD emission. Experintal results show that this vibrational microprobe h as the possibility to achieve positional sensing accuracy of less than 25 nm. As a new micromachining technique, nano-removal process using an optically trapped micro-grain is proposed. The laser trapping force enables not only to stably trap the diamond grain with asymmetrical shape but also to freely control the positi on with spinning. Using this micro machining tool, the machining experiments of h ydrocarbon film are performed. AFM observation confirmed that the fine groove wi th depths of about 3～4 nm can be fabricated. As an additive process based on ra diation pressure, a laser microstructure fabrication using laser agglomeration p h enomena of colloidal particles aided by radiation pressure is investigated. By c ontrolling laser beam scanning in slurry containing KOH solution and SiO₂ par ticles with a diameter of 140 nm, colloidal particles are aggregated and adhered firmly to a silicon wafer substrate. Using this laser agglomerating process, two-dimensional grid microstructures at the pitch of 5 mm can be fabricated.     

A silanized mica substrate suitable for high-resolution fiber FISH analysis by scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy

We applied a novel silanized mica substrate with an extremely flat surface constructed according to Sasou et al. (Langmuir 19, 9845-9849 (2003)) to high-resolution detection of a specific gene on a DNA fiber by scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy (SNOM/AFM). The interaction between the substrate and fluorescence-dye conjugated peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes, which causes fluorescence noise signal, was minimal. By using the substrate, we successfully obtained a fluorescence in situ hybridization signal from the ea47 gene on a λphage DNA labeled with an Alexa 532-conjugated 15-base PNA probe. As the results, no fluorescence noises were observed, indicating that the surface adsorbed almost none of the PNA probe. The combination of the substrate and SNOM/AFM is an effective tool for visualizing DNA sequences at nanometer-scale resolution.     

X-ray excited optical luminescence detection by scanning near-field optical microscope: a new tool for nanoscience

Investigations of complex nanostructured materials used in modern technologies require special experimental techniques able to provide information on the structure and electronic properties of materials with a spatial resolution down to the nanometer scale. We tried to address these needs through the combination of x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) using synchrotron radiation microbeams with scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) detection of the x-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) signal. This new instrumentation offers the possibility to carry out a selective structural analysis of the sample surface with the subwavelength spatial resolution determined by the SNOM probe aperture. In addition, the apex of the optical fiber plays the role of a topographic probe, and chemical and topographic mappings can be simultaneously recorded. Our working XAS-SNOM prototype is based on a quartz tuning-fork head mounted on a high stability nanopositioning system; a coated optical fiber tip, operating as a probe in shear-force mode; a detection system coupled with the microscope head control system; and a dedicated software/hardware setup for synchronization of the XEOL signal detection with the synchrotron beamline acquisition system. We illustrate the possibility to obtain an element-specific contrast and to perform nano-XAS experiments by detecting the Zn K and W L(3) absorption edges in luminescent ZnO and mixed ZnWO(4)-ZnO nanostructured thin films.