Nanometer-precise optical length measurement using near-field scanning optical microscopy with sharpened single carbon nanotube probe

Takehiro Tachizaki; Toshihiko Nakata; Kaifeng Zhang; Ichiro Yamakawa; Shin-Ichi Taniguchi

doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2017.12.006

Nanometer-precise optical length measurement using near-field scanning optical microscopy with sharpened single carbon nanotube probe

Ultramicroscopy. 2018 Mar:186:18-22. doi: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2017.12.006. Epub 2017 Dec 7.

Authors

Takehiro Tachizaki¹, Toshihiko Nakata², Kaifeng Zhang², Ichiro Yamakawa², Shin-Ichi Taniguchi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Optics and Imaging Science and Technology, Tokai University, 4-1-1 Kitakaname, Hiratsuka, 259-1292, Japan. Electronic address: tachi@tokai-u.jp.
² Center for Technology Innovation, Research & Development Group, Hitachi Ltd., 292 Yoshidacho, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama-shi, 244-0817, Japan.

PMID: 29245031
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2017.12.006

Abstract

We have developed and characterized a plasmon-excitation scattering-type near-field scanning optical microscope with sharpened single carbon nanotube probe. The developed microscope can optically capture differences in the refractive index of single-nanometer surface structures. Statistical analysis enabled us to estimate the precision of the optical length measurement to 1.8 nm.

Keywords: Carbon nanotube; Near-field scanning optical microscopy; Precise length measurement.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't