At&t Bell Laboratories

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Jay K Trautman

Robert E Betzig

Raymond Wolfe

Ernst M Gyorgy

Herschel Maclyn Marchman

Anthony E Novembre

An optical probe microscope includes an optical fiber oriented in a vertical direction. The fiber has a tip that emits light onto a horizontal surface of a sample to be measured. This surface can have both desired and undesired departures from planarity. An electromechanical device for imparting dither motion to the fiber tip is superposed on another electromechanical device for imparting two-dimensional horizontal scanning motion to the fiber tip. The dither motion has a much higher frequency than that of the scanning motion. Between successive scannings, another device moves the sample itself from one horizontal position to another. A microscope receives the optical radiation either transmitted or reflected by the sample surface. The microscope forms a (magnified) image of this received optical radiation on the surface of an optical image position detector. The surface of this detector has a relatively large area compared with that of the (magnified) image. The resulting electrical signal developed by the detector provides desired information concerning the scanning position of the fiber tip. Also, this electrical signal is processed and fed back to a vertical pusher that maintains desirably constant the distance of the fiber tip from the sample surface.

Optical probe microscope having a fiber optic tip that receives both a

The present invention is directed to a process for device fabrication in which a spatially resolved latent image of latent features in an energy sensitive resist material is used to control process parameters. In the present process, an energy sensitive resist material is exposed to radiation using a patternwise or blanket exposure. An image of the latent effects of the exposure is obtained using a near-field imaging technique. This image of the latent effects of the exposure is used to control parameters of the lithographic process such as focus, lamp intensity, exposure dose, exposure time, and post exposure baking by comparing the image so obtained with the desired effects of the exposure and adjusting the relevant lithographic parameter to obtain the desired correlation between the image obtained and the desired effect. The image of the latent effects of exposure are also used to characterize the mask used in the lithographic process or to characterize the lithographic stepper used in the lithographic process.

Process for fabricating a device in which the process is controlled by

An optical system useful, e.g., for near-field scanning optical microscopy is provided. The system incorporates a probe having improved properties. In one embodiment, the probe comprises a tapered and partially metallized portion of a single-mode optical fiber.

Manufacturing method including near-field optical microscopic

Manufacturing method including photoresist processing using a near-field

Manufacturing method, including near-field optical microscopic

Near-field optical microscopic examination of genetic material

Data recording using a near field optical probe

Near field optical microscopic examination of a biological specimen

Near field scanning optical microscope having a tapered waveguide

A novel probe, useful for near-field optical scanning microscopy, is provided. The probe has a fine tip which includes fluorescent material. In one embodiment, the invention is an apparatus which includes such a probe, means for exciting and detecting fluorescence in the probe tip, means for positioning the probe tip near the surface of a sample, and means for displacing the probe tip relative to the sample. In a second embodiment, the invention is a manufacturing method in which the novel probe is used to measure a characteristic dimension of a patterned workpiece.

Near-field scanning optical microscope using a fluorescent probe

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Chatham, NJ, United States of America

Jay K Trautman