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Sensitivity and Resolution Limits in Scanning Capacitance Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 March 2011

'Stefan Lányi and
Miloslav Hruŝkovic
'Stefan Lányi
Affiliation:
Institute of Physics, Slovakian Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, Bratislava, Slovakia
Miloslav Hruŝkovic
Affiliation:
Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Abstract

The capacitance detection techniques, applicable to Scanning Capacitance Microscopes, have been analyzed from the point of view of signal-to-noise ratio that finally affects the achievable lateral resolution. It was found that comparable sensitivities can be achieved from relatively low frequencies below 1 MHz up to the GHz region. On conducting surfaces, resolution better than 5 nm has been achieved. It is limited by the minimum probe-to-sample distance, below which large tunneling current would occur. Increasing the applied voltage above a few volts increases the sensitivity at the cost of lateral resolution, since, at high voltage and small probe-sample distance, field emission could occur.

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