Application of a self-sensing conductive probe for Si device imaging

For the evaluation of two-dimensional carrier profiles in semiconductor devices, we have developed a novel form of probe–sensor combined unit that uses an etched tungsten wire as a conductive probe, and commercially available quartz tuning fork as the force sensor. This unit has a self-sensing capability due to the piezoelectric effect of quartz tuning fork, thus obviating optical setup, and its conductivity is higher and more stable than that of conventional metal-coated Si cantilever. In addition, this probe–sensor combined unit is inexpensive and easy to use, when compared to the well-known optical methods of Si-based cantilever vibration detection system. Our scanning probe microscope using this probe–sensor combined unit is able to mapping the capacitive gradient signal (dC/dZ image) and internal damping of quartz tuning fork oscillation (dissipation image) while scanning the sample surface. In this letter, we show the results of visualization of the p–n junction locus of a Si metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistor in both dC/dZ and dissipation images.