A vacuum compatible Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is presented.
Difficulties in operating KPFM in a vacuum were overcome by utilizing
the direct cantilever resonance frequency detection in the tip height
control whereas the indirect resonance frequency detection scheme was
used in primordial KPFM. The potential measurement sensitivity was im
proved by 14 dB compared to that in air. It is due to the increased ca
ntilever Q value and the reduction in the interference from the tip he
ight detection signal because potential measurement is conducted using
the cantilever's second resonance while tip height control was conduc
ted using the first resonance. A silicon wafer whose surface is partia
lly doped with arsenic by ion implantation was observed, and surface p
otential difference at the junctions were clearly imaged. (C) 1996 Ame
rican Institute of Physics.