Abstract
Photons incident to a total internal reflection surface that is also the object plane of a reflected light microscope will tunnel through a submicron gap in the presence of a dielectric sample. Tunneling increases exponentially with sample height for a homogeneous refractive index and is quantified by empirical calibration to a known geometry. Video photometry of the grays scale tunneling image is converted by a three-axis oscilloscope into a real time 3-D topographic image featuring variable perspective. Vertical resolution is detector-limited to less than a nanometer over a field depth, also detector-limited, of ~0.75λ; lateral resolution is enhanced to ~0.29λ. Photon tunneling images of diamond turned surfaces, optical data structures, a polished optical surface, and microlithographic structures are among those presented. Comparison and correlation with other methods for measuring surface topography in this regime are briefly discussed.
© 1990 Optical Society of America
Full Article | PDF ArticleMore Like This
F. Meriaudeau, J. P. Goudonnet, E. Carver, J. E. Parks, K. B. Jacobson, R. J. Warmack, and Thomas L. Ferrell
Appl. Opt. 37(31) 7276-7288 (1998)
John M. Guerra
Appl. Opt. 32(1) 24-26 (1993)
J. P. Fillard, M. Castagne, and C. Prioleau
Appl. Opt. 34(19) 3737-3742 (1995)