Evaluation of scanning Maxwell-stress microscopy for SPM-based nanoelectronics

A preliminary evaluation of the compatibility, spatial resolution, and sensitivity of scanning Maxwell-stress microscopy (SMM) as an in situ diagnostic technique for SPM oxidation of silicon is presented. These results indicate that SMM will provide us with a more detailed understanding of the reaction mechanism which occurs at the tip-sample junction during SPM oxidation. SMM also appears to be a promising technique for simultaneously investigating dimensional and electrical properties of molecular distributions within highly complex micro-environments such as phase-separated polymer systems. This effort to integrate SPM-based fabrication and diagnostics is discussed in terms of the development of predictive physical models for the optimization of the fabrication process and possible choices of future SPM-based nanodevices.