A modularly equipped scanning probe microscope (SPM)-based hybrid system is developed, expanding application fields and performances of former instruments. The SPM head can easily be incorporated into the analysis chamber of most scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) and both systems can be handled by the electronics within one software simultaneously. Contact and non-contact scanning force microscope (SFM) measurements obtained inside an environmental SEM for the first time demonstrate resolutions of less than 0.2 nm under working conditions.Both probes can be used simultaneously either as actuators or sensors to deliberately modify and analyse sample properties as well as to characterize the probe interactions. This is the essential advantage of hybrid systems, besides the great number of well known complementary analyses which can be performed with each microscope at the same sample area. The use of an electron beam and a SFM tip as two independent electrical actuators and sensors is demonstrated to be exemplary. Interaction of the probes with each other is a new aspect, which is presented and discussed.

Articles you may be interested inNear-field cathodoluminescence ͑NFCL͒ has been used to characterize hydride vapor phase epitaxy grown n-GaN films. This technique can obtain high resolution luminescence images and perform local measurements of the diffusion length for minority carriers in different parts of the sample. NFCL contrast observed in round growth hillocks at the sample surface, with a diameter of less than 10 m, is compared with that observed by conventional cathodoluminescence in scanning electron microscope ͑CLSEM͒ techniques. In particular NFCL images reveal features not detected by CLSEM which is explained by the fact that under near field conditions the signal arises from a depth of only several tens of nanometers and is then directly related to the surface hillocks. Diffusion lengths of about 0.4 and 4 m have been found for the holes in different regions of the samples at room temperature. The order of magnitude of these minority carriers diffusion lengths is in good agreement with previous measurements performed at different GaN samples with other techniques. The NFCL contrast and the differences in the measured diffusion lengths are discussed and explained by variations in local trap concentrations.

No abstract

In this work electron-beam-induced potentials are analysed theoretically and experimentally for semiconductors. A theoretical model is developed to describe the surface potential distribution produced by an electron beam. The distribution of generated carriers is calculated using semiconductor equations. This distribution causes a local change in surface potential, which is derived with the help of quasi-Fermi energies. The potential distribution is simulated using the model developed and measured with a scanning probe microscope (SPM) built inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM), for different samples, for different beam excitations and for different cantilever voltages of SPM. In the end, some fields of application are shown where material properties can be determined using an SEM/SPM hybrid system.

A resistive probe based Scanning Thermal Microscope (SThM) was implemented in an analysis chamber of a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). By means of this hybrid-system thermal device, specific characteristics are detectable. Variable punctual heat sources can be simulated and the influence of ambient parameters can be investigated.