Scanning probe microscope having cantilever and detecting sample characteristics by means of reflected sample examination light

A microscope comprising:

• a light source for emitting a sample examination light;
• a probe having a portion for passing the sample examination light therethrough;
• a cantilever having a free end portion supporting the probe, the free end portion having a portion for passing the sample examination light therethrough;
• scanning means for causing the probe to scan then surface of a sample while controlling the distance between the probe and the sample on the basis of a tunnel current flowing therebetween;
• guide means for guiding the sample examination light to the free end portion of the cantilever, the sample examination light passing through the free end portion of the cantilever and probe and being radiated onto the surface of the sample, resulting in that a radiated portion of the surface of the sample generates characteristic light indicative of the characteristics thereof;
• and
• means for detecting the characteristic light to thereby detect the characteristics of the radiated portion of the surface of the sample.

A microscope comprising:

• an optically transparent probe;
• a cantilever having optically transparent free end portion supporting the probe;
• selective reflection means provided on the free end portion of the cantilever, for reflecting displacement detection light and for passing observation light therethrough;
• scanning means for causing the probe to scan the surface of a sample while controlling the distance between the probe and the sample to be substantially constant, which distance would otherwise vary due to an interatomic force exerted between the probe and the sample;
• a light source means for emitting the displacement detection light and the observation light;
• guide means for guiding the displacement detection light and the observation light to the selective reflection means provided on the cantilever, the displacement detection light being reflected by the reflection means, the observation light being radiated on the surface of the sample through the free end portion of the cantilever, and then reflected from the surface;
• and
• means for receiving light reflected from the surface of the sample to observe the same.

A scanning probe microscope comprising:

• a cantilever including a conductive probe having a tip portion positioned near the surface of a sample,
• conveying means for conveying said sample to and away from the tip portion of the probe,
• means for applying a bias voltage between said probe and sample to produce a tunnel current therebetween,
• means for detecting the produced tunnel current,
• means for detecting the amount of displacement of the probe resultant from interatomic forces acting between atomics of the tip portion of said probe and of the surface of the sample, and for producing signals corresponding to the detected displacement,
• a main servo control means for providing said conveying means with feedback in response to the output signals from the probe displacement detection means to maintain substantially constant the distance between the tip portion of the probe and sample, thereby causing said conveying means to convey the sample,
• means for forming a first three-dimensional image data of information relative to the local electron state in the surface of the sample which information has been obtained from the tunnel current detected by said tunnel current detecting means,
• means for forming a second three-dimensional image data of information relative to the potential distribution in the surface of the sample, which information has been obtained from the tunnel current detected by said tunnel current detecting means;
• and
• means for forming a third three-dimensional image data of information about the roughness of the sample surface corresponding to the amount of displacement of the probe detected by said probe displacement detecting means, so that said first, second and third image data can be separately obtained simultaneously.

A microscope comprising:

• a cantilever including a free end portion and a probe provided on the free end portion;
• light emitting means for emitting a sample examination light onto a surface of a sample through the probe so that a portion of the surface of the sample onto which light is emitted generates characteristic light thereof;
• scanning means for causing the probe to scan the surface of a sample while controlling the distance between the probe and the surface of the sample to be substantially constant on the basis of an interatomic force exerted between the probe and sample;
• and
• means for detecting the characteristic light generated by the sample to thereby detect the characteristics of said portion of the surface of the sample onto which said sample examination light is emitted.

A microscope comprising:

• a lever means including a flexible portion and a probe provided on the flexible portion;
• light emitting means for emitting a sample examination light onto a surface of a sample through the probe so that a portion of the surface of the sample onto which light is emitted generates characteristic light thereof;
• scanning means for causing the probe to scan the surface of a sample while controlling the distance between the probe and the surface of the sample to be substantially constant on the basis of an interatomic force exerted between the probe and sample;
• and
• means for detecting the characteristic light generated by the sample to thereby detect the characteristics of the portion of the surface of the sample onto which said sample examination light is emitted.