Scanning near-field cathodoluminescence microscopy

A new set-up for cathodoluminescence (CL) studies is described. It combines a scanning near-field optical/force microscopy (SNOM/SFM) with a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This hybrid instrument allows one to image a sample conventionally by SEM, to investigate by SFM the local topography and to simultaneously perform CL imaging. The results of our initial efforts to improve the resolution limit of the classical SEM cathodoluminescent systems are reported. For the first time CL images with a resolution of 100 nm are obtained.