Characterisation of probe-tip/sample signal transmission in electrical sampling scanning force microscopy

A scanning force microscope test system has been used in former work for MMIC charactersation up to 40 GHz. The local probe-tip/sample interaction is known but the transmission of high frequency sampling signals can cause unknown disturbances on the sample. Therefore for the first time systematic investigations of the probe-tip/sample interaction for various parameters are made. The results allow a closer understanding of the probe-tip behaviour and show possible ways for improved probe-tip geometries.