Shinya OHKUBO, Shohei YAMAZAKI, Atsuo TAKAYANAGI, Yukitoshi OTANI and Norihiro UMEDA

Faculty of Technology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Nakacho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588 Japan

(Received November 28, 2002; Accepted January 14, 2003)

Many studies have reported on the use of quartz tuning forks (a type of crystal oscillator used in wristwatches) in the detection of shear force, employed to control the distance between the probe and the sample in a scanning near-field optical microscope. This study focuses on a newly-devised shear force detection method capable of simultaneous non-external oscillation and detection, which also allows for subsequent reuse of a tuning fork. The optimum configuration and tip length for inserting a probe into the slit of a tuning fork have been elucidated. The shear force was detectable in about 5 nm decay length using such conditions.

Key words: scanning near-field optical microscope, shear force, tuning fork (TF), non-external oscillation, reuse