Overview of label-free far field optical nanoscopy techniques for nanometrology

Abstract

The development of new nanomaterials, devices and systems is very much dependent on the availability of new techniques for nanometrology. There now exists many advanced optical imaging techniques capable of subwavelength resolution and detection, recently brought to the forefront through the 2014 Nobel Prize for chemistry for fluorescent STED and single molecule microscopy. Label-free nanoscopy techniques are particularly interesting for nanometrology since they have the advantages of being less intrusive and open to a wider number of structures that can be observed compared with fluorescent techniques. In view of the existence of many nanoscopy techniques, we present a practical classification scheme to help in their understanding. An important distinction is made between superresolution techniques that provide resolutions better than the classical λ/2 limit of diffraction and nanodetection techniques that are used to detect or characterize unresolved nanostructures or as nanoprobes to image sub-diffraction nanostructures. We then highlight some of the more important label-free techniques that can be used for nanometrology. Superresolution techniques displaying sub-100 nm resolution are demonstrated with tomographic diffractive microscopy (TDM) and submerged microsphere optical nanoscopy (SMON). Nanodetection techniques are separated into three categories depending on whether they use contrast, phase or deconvolution. The use of increased contrast is illustrated with ellipsometric contrast microscopy (SEEC) for measuring nanostructures. Very high sensitivity phase measurement using interference microscopy is then shown for characterizing nanometric surface roughness or internal structures. Finally, the use of through-focus scanning optical microscopy (TSOM) demonstrates the measurement and characterization of 60 nm linewidths in microelectronic devices.