Removing Optical Artifacts in Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy by Using a Three Dimensional Scanning Mode

Published

September 1, 1999

Author(s)

C. E. Jordan, Stephan J. Stranick, Lee J. Richter, Richard R. Cavanagh

Abstract

We demonstrate a method of acquiring near-field scanning optical microscopy data that allows for the construction of three different types of images from one data set: topographic, constant-gap, and constant-height. This data set includes the topographic features of the surface and the optical response at various heights above the sample surface. Comparisons are made between images recorded in this format to both conventional, constant-gap mode images and pseudo-constant-height mode images constructed using a single retraction curve. Z-motion artifacts are identified by analyzing the optical intensity for a given image as a function of the sample topography. Using this procedure it is shown that significant z-motion artifacts exist in the constant-gap images of gold particles immobilized on a glass slide. These artifacts are avoided by y constructing constant-height images.

Citation

Journal of Applied Physics

Volume

86

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

apertured probe, artifacts, constant-gap, constant-height, NSOM

Citation

Jordan, C. , Stranick, S. , Richter, L. and Cavanagh, R. (1999), Removing Optical Artifacts in Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy by Using a Three Dimensional Scanning Mode, Journal of Applied Physics (Accessed November 4, 2025)