Non-optically probing near-field microscopy with illumination of total internal reflection

We have developed a non-optically probing near-field microscope with illumi nation of total internal reflection. Because the illumination light does no t pass through the specimens, it is possible to observe thick specimens or highly absorptive materials. It reduces the background noise because the de cay length of the evanescent wave is a few hundred nanometres. We found tha t although in the total internal reflection illumination system the light p assed through the photosensitive film and illuminated the specimen, it did not affect the photosensitive him severely and did not limit the resolution . The imaging properties of reflection illumination and transmission illumi nation are analysed using a finite-differential time domain method.