A quantum dot microscope apparatus is provided. A further aspect employs a tilted or tapered end or tip on a microscopic probe. Another aspect of the present apparatus employs a probe including a quantum dot with only one tunneling lead connected to a power source. A manufacturing aspect includes creating a tapered or asymmetrically shaped specimen-facing end of a probe where a quantum dot is located on the end. A further manufacturing aspect includes using focused ion-beam milling to create a tip or end of a quantum dot microscope probe.

A scanning tunneling microscope including a z-axis scanning assembly; a quantum tunneling tip operatively connected to the z-axis scanning assembly; a z-axis controller configured to communicate with the z-axis scanning assembly; an x-y scanning assembly including a sample platform for holding a sample to be observed and arranged proximate the quantum tunneling tip separated in a z-axis direction from the platform; an x-y controller configured to communicate with the x-y scanning assembly; a measurement circuit connected to the quantum tunneling tip and the sample platform such that a relative electrical voltage is provided between said quantum tunneling tip and the sample platform and so as to measure an electrical current; and a data processor configured to communicate with the z-axis controller and the x-y controller to receive surface imaging information or point spectral information therefrom.

A semiconductor carrier profiling method utilizes a scanning tunneling microscope and shielded probe with an attached spectrum analyzer to measure power loss of a microwave frequency comb generated in a tunneling junction. From this power loss and by utilizing an equivalent circuit or other model, spreading resistance may be determined and carrier density from the spreading resistance. The methodology is non-destructive of the sample and allows scanning across the surface of the sample. By not being destructive, additional analysis methods, like deconvolution, are available for use.

A scanning probe microscope includes: a pump light output unit that emits pump light having a first specified phase to a specimen and performs emission of the pump light a plurality of number of times to excite the specimen; a probe light output unit that emits probe light having a second specified phase to the specimen once while the specimen is excited by one-time emission of the pump light; and a scanning probe that detects, from the specimen, a probe signal corresponding to each one-time emission of the probe light, wherein the pump light output unit or the probe light output unit includes a delay time adjustment unit that adjusts delay time from a start of the emission of the pump light until a start of the emission of the probe light.

A quantum dot microscope apparatus is provided. A further aspect employs a tilted or tapered end or tip on a microscopic probe. Another aspect of the present apparatus employs a probe including a quantum dot with only one tunneling lead connected to a power source. A manufacturing aspect includes creating a tapered or asymmetrically shaped specimen-facing end of a probe where a quantum dot is located on the end. A further manufacturing aspect includes using focused ion-beam milling to create a tip or end of a quantum dot microscope probe.

An optical output system includes: a first laser that outputs first light which is a pulse laser in response to input of a first signal; a second laser that outputs second light which is a pulse laser in response to input of a second signal; and an arithmetic unit that inputs the first signal and the second signal to the first laser and the second laser, wherein the arithmetic unit repeatedly inputs the first signal and the second signal with switching a variable delay value, which is a difference between a timing to input the first signal to the first laser and a timing to input the second signal to the second laser, in a plurality of ways.

In order to meet the needs of, in particular, the semi-conductor industry as it requires finer lithography nodes, a method of feedback control for scanning probe microscopy generates a microwave frequency comb of harmonics in a tunneling junction (10) between a probe tip electrode (80) and sample electrode (20) by irradiating the junction with mode-locked pulses of electromagnetic radiation from a laser (90). Utilizing power measurements within one or more harmonics within the microwave frequency comb, the tip-sample distance in the tunneling junction may be regulated by a feedback control (40) utilizing an extremum-seeking algorithm for maximum efficiency and avoid tip crash when used with resistive samples. Ideally, no externally provided DC bias is required to use the method. Utilization of this method contributes to true sub-nanometer resolution of images of carrier distribution in resistive samples such as semi-conductors.

In order to meet the needs of, in particular, the semi-conductor industry as it requires finer lithography nodes, a method of feedback control for scanning probe microscopy generates a microwave frequency comb of harmonics in a tunneling junction (10) between a probe tip electrode (80) and sample electrode (20) by irradiating the junction with mode-locked pulses of electromagnetic radiation from a laser (90). Utilizing power measurements within one or more harmonics within the microwave frequency comb, the tip-sample distance in the tunneling junction may be regulated by a feedback control (40) utilizing an extremum-seeking algorithm for maximum efficiency and avoid tip crash when used with resistive samples. Ideally, no externally provided DC bias is required to use the method. Utilization of this method contributes to true sub-nanometer resolution of images of carrier distribution in resistive samples such as semi-conductors.

A scanning probe microscope includes: a pump light output unit that emits pump light having a first specified phase to a specimen and performs emission of the pump light a plurality of number of times to excite the specimen; a probe light output unit that emits probe light having a second specified phase to the specimen once while the specimen is excited by one-time emission of the pump light; and a scanning probe that detects, from the specimen, a probe signal corresponding to each one-time emission of the probe light, wherein the pump light output unit or the probe light output unit includes a delay time adjustment unit that adjusts delay time from a start of the emission of the pump light until a start of the emission of the probe light.

In order to meet the needs of the semi-conductor industry as it requires finer lithography nodes, a method of feedback control for scanning probe microscopy generates a microwave frequency comb of harmonics in a tunneling junction by irradiating the junction with mode-locked pulses of electromagnetic radiation. Utilizing power measurements within one or more harmonics, the tip-sample distance in the tunneling junction may be regulated for maximum efficiency and avoid tip crash when used with resistive samples. Optionally, no DC bias is required to use the method. Utilization of this method contributes to true sub-nanometer resolution of images of carrier distribution in resistive samples such as semi-conductors.