Interference scanning optical probe microscopy

We describe an optical scanning probe technique (Interference Scanning Optical Probe Microscopy) with enhanced resolution possibilities not limited by the aperture size of the optical probe, This is realized using a substrate in the form of a microcavity and probe collection mode in reflection geometry. The microcavity consisting of an opaque and a transparent layer, is used to shift the phase of the wave scattered from the adsorbate with respect to the incident and reflected beams, Using this technique silver island films have been detected with resolution better than 40 nm with a nominal probe aperture size of 100 nm. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.