SPM-glossary

- S -

SAP

 SATM

 SATS

 SCM

SCVM

SDM

SEMM

    Scanning Evanescent Electro-Magnetic Microscope
    A scanning microscope that uses near-field evanescent electromagnetic waves to probe sample properties. SEMM is capable of high resolution imaging and quantitative measurements of the electrical properties of the sample. SEMM can map dielectric constant, tangent loss, conductivity, complex electrical impedance, and other electrical parameters of materials.
    US Pat. 6173604:

 SEPM

SFM

    Scanning Force Microscopy
    Shear Force Microscopy
    Kind of SPM with a distance regulation method relied on the detection of shear forces between the end of a probe and the sample of interest.
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 2484 (1992).

SFS

    Scanning Force Spectroscopy
    Measurement of the frictional force as a function of the loading force
    Static Force Spectroscopy
    Recording the deflection of a cantilever as a function of the tip-sample distance, as the tip approaches and retracts from a sample surface. This method implies the assumption of a quasistatic displacement.

SGM

    Scanning gate microscopy
    The biased tip locally modified the conducting properties of the sample as it scans over it. SGM images this perturbation by measuring the conductance of the sample as a function of tip position. The conductance changes when the tip locally depletes, or gates the underlying electron system. SGM may also be used to determine whether the tip perturbs the sample during an EFM measurement.
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 6082 (2000).

 SGS

 SHFM

SICM

SIM

    Scanning Impedance Microscopy
    SIM is a scanning probe technique based on the detection of the phase change of cantilever oscillations induced by a lateral bias applied to the sample. This technique allows mapping of the local phase angle of complex microstructures and is complemented by scanning surface potential microscopy (SSPM). The combination of SIM and SSPM allows independent quantification of interface resistivity and capacitance, thus providing spatially resolved impedance spectra of complex microstructures.
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 1306 (2001).

  SKP, SKPM

SLAM

    Scanning Local-Acceleration Microscopy
    Scanning Force Microscope operating at frequencies above the highest tip–sample resonance. SLAM greatly enhances the sensitivity of the microscope to materials’ properties.
    J. Vac. Sci.Techn. B 14, 794 (1996).

 slope detection

    The most commonly used detection method, it involves driving the cantilever at a fixed frequency w slightly off resonance.

SMOKE

SMM

    Scanning Maxwell-Stress Microscopy
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 2560( 2001).

    Scanning Microdeformation Microscopy

    Scanning Microdeformation Microscopy is based on a vibrating contact tip. Scanning the sample reveals surface topography and mainly, subsurface elastic properties.
    APL 62, 829, 1993
    Scanning Microdeformation Microscopy is a form of contact a.c. force microscopy using a tip size of the order of a micron. The tip is mounted at the end of the cantilever and vibrates in contact with the sample. The system uses a resonance frequency and enables quantitative material characterization at any point of the sample surface.
    Applied Physics A Materials Science & Processing. Abstract Volume 66, Issue 7, S227 (1998).

 SM SCM

    Shear Mode SCM
    Shear-mode SCM is developed using an all-metallic probe, whose distance from the sample is controlled by detecting the shear-force drag on the laterally oscillating probe. Using this SCM, a set of images of topography, dC/dV, and dC/dX is simultaneously obtained.. The SCM developed shows sensitivity for dC/dV higher than the conventional SCM. The dC/dX image clearly indicates the built-in depletion region due to the p-n junction.
    Appl.Phys. Lett. 78, 2955 (2001).

 SNAM

 SNDM

    Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric Microscopy
    Figure 1.(a) shows a schematic configuration of the SNDM probe developed for the simultaneous observation of surface morphology and domain patterns of ferroelectric materials. A conductive cantilever is used along with the SNDM probe and AFM probe in order to carry out simultaneous measurement. The SNDM probe consists of the tip, an inductance element L, a capacitance element C0, a feedback amplifier and a ring ground electrode which compose the LC oscillator. Cs is the capacitance between the tip and the ring-shaped ground electrode, as shown in Figure 1 (b). The probe oscillates at a resonant frequency $f_0 = 1/(2\pi\sqrt{L(C_s+C_0)})$ , where C0 represents a stray capacitor in the electrical circuit. During the measurement, an additional AC voltage Vp of much lower frequency fa than f0 is applied between the sample stage and the ring electrode. Since the L is sufficiently small to conduct the AC voltage to the tip, the additional voltage is applied between the sample stage and the top of the tip. The applied voltage Vp modulates the Cs due to the nonlinear dielectric response whose sign changes in accordance with the polarization of the specimen under the tip. Therefore one can measure the polarization of the specimen by measuring the dynamic frequency deviation.
    Figure 2. is a schematic diagram of the system for simultaneous observation of surface morphology and domain patterns.
    Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 39, 3808 (2000).

 SNOM

SPE

SPM

 SP NFOM

 SP STM

 SRET

 SRM

 SRP

 SSFM

    Submarine SFM
    The SSFM is constructed as a standalone, remote-controlled, and water-tight microscope that can be put upside down into the water subphase of a commercial LB trough. The SFM tip therefore approaches the air/water interface from underwater allowing the investigation of the LB chromophores.
    J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 14, 1387 (1996).

Scanning Shear-Force Microscopy

SSPM

    Scanning Surface Potential Microscopy
    In SSPM the cantilever is not driven mechanically; rather, the tip is biased directly by Vtip = Vdc +Vaccos( wt), where Vac is referred to as the driving voltage. The capacitive force Fcap(z) between the tip and a surface at potential V s is
    F cap( z) = (1/2)(Vtip -Vs2 ) (dC(z)/dz)
    where C(z) is the tip-surface capacitance dependent on tip geometry, surface topography and tip-surface separation z. The first harmonic of the force is
    Fcap1w(z) = (dC(z)/dz)(Vdc - Vs) Vac
    and feedback is used to nullify this term by adjusting the constant component of the tip bias Vdc . This condition is met when Vdc is equal to surface potential and thus, mapping the nulling potential Vdc yields a surface potential map.
    Phys. Rev. B 63, 125411 (2000). 

SSRM

SThM

    Scanning Thermal Microscope
    SThM is based upon a noncontacting near-field thermal probe. Profiling is achieved by scanning the heated sensor above but close to the surface of a solid. The conduction of heat between tip and sample via the air provides a means for maintaining the sample spacing constant during the lateral scan.
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 49, 1587 (1986).

 STM

STM-IETS

STS

SVET

S-UFM

swipping

    Moving and remuving of small particles by the SPM probe during imaging them.
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 66, 3295 (1995). 

SXM

    see
    Scanning Proximity Microscopy