A COMBINED NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL AND FORCE MICROSCOPE

Scanning near field optical microscopy (SNOM) is the optical alternati ve of the scanning probe microscopical techniques which enables a late ral resolution down to about 10 nm, unlimited by diffraction. Moreover , the potential of non-destructive imaging of chemical and biological samples with nanometer resolution in ambient conditions is a crucial a dvantage over electron microscopy. An integrated microscope has been c onstructed which allows simultaneous detection of optical and force in teraction between a microfabricated SiN probe and a sample surface. Im ages are obtained in a transmission mode by detection of the light ema nating from a ''super-tip'' in contact with the sample surface and ill uminated by total internal reflection. Physical and technical aspects of the instrument are discussed and illustrated with typical images.