Chapter 11 - Imaging at the Nanoscale: Scanning Probe Microscopies Applied to Semiconductors

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to give an overlook of the various possibilities given by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques for the characterization of semiconducting nanostructures and heterostructures. A scanning probe microscope is a lensless microscope, probing the surface using the force or the tunneling current exerted between a tip and a sample surface brought in close proximity to each other. In the following paragraphs, the basics of scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, electrostatic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy and conductive AFM will be introduced, with the aim at giving at least a glimpse of the many different possibilities they offer for the investigation of nanostructures and heterostructures. Moreover, the key factors that must be taken into account in order to extract as much information as possible from these techniques, avoiding misinterpretation and artifacts, will be discussed. In the end, some examples of characterization of surfaces and devices will be presented.