Demonstrating applications of non-optically regulated tapping-mode near-field scanning optical microscopy to nano-optical metrology and optical characterization of semiconductors

Abstract

We demonstrate the applications of a near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) system based on a short-probe tapping-mode tuning fork (TMTF) configuration to nano-optical metrology and the optical characterization of semiconductors. The short-probe TMTF–NSOM system is constructed to operate in both collection and excitation modes, in which a cleaved short fiber probe attached to one tine of the tuning fork is used as a light collector/emitter as well as a force-sensing element. Interference fringes due to standing evanescent waves generated by total internal reflection are imaged in the collection mode. Excitation-mode short-probe TMTF–NSOM is applied to near-field surface photovoltage measurement on distributed-Bragg-reflector-enhanced absorbing substrate AlGaInP light-emitting diode structures.