AVS 47th International Symposium
    Processing at the Nanoscale/NANO 6 Thursday Sessions
       Session NS+NANO6+MC-ThA

Paper NS+NANO6+MC-ThA6
Novel Scanning Near-field Optical Spectroscopy/Atomic Force Microscope Probes with High Polarisation Single/Double Slit and Cross Aperture Tips

Thursday, October 5, 2000, 3:40 pm, Room 302

Session: Near-field Optics and Photonics
Presenter: H.P. Zhou, University of Glasgow, UK
Authors: H.P. Zhou, University of Glasgow, UK
G. Mills, University of Glasgow, UK
L. Donaldson, University of Glasgow, UK
J.M.R. Weaver, University of Glasgow, UK
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We have developed novel scanning near-field optical microscopy/atomic force microscope (SNOM/AFM) probes. These probes have high polarisation single/double slit and cross apertures situated at the hollow tip apex of a silicon nitride cantilever. Direct-write electron-beam lithography (EBL) and silicon micromachining are used in a reliable batch process. The apertures are defined by lithographic means, therefore, the size, shape and orientation of apertures are well controlled and reproducible. The integration of a conventional force microscope cantilever with the aperture allows reliable control of the aperture-sample distance. The cross aperture probe has two very narrow orthogonal slits which have a width of much smaller than a wavelength, and a length on the order of a wavelength. We have designed and constructed a SNOM system based on the cross aperture probes. A parallel-polarised (p polarised) beam passes through the vertical slit and illuminates a sample hold in the near field of the aperture. The reflected light from the sample with the incident polarisation is received by the same slit, while the perpendicular-polarised (s polarised) fluorescent component is received by the horizontal slit. Using this system, we have obtained near-field fluorescence imaging and have demonstrated spectrally resolved photoluminescence imaging with a spatial resolution of 50nm. The single and double slit apertures are vertically or horizontally oriented. The polarisation properties of the optical transmission from the slit aperture probes have been investigated as a function of the polarisation orientation. The polarisation behaviour of the slit probes is linearly polarised. The polarisation ratio ranged from 1:60 to 1:1000 for different ratios of length to width of slits.