Near-field infrared imaging with a microfabricated solid immersion lens

We report imaging in the infrared with a microfabricated solid immersion lens. The integrated 15-μm-diameter lens and cantilever are fabricated from single-crystal silicon and scanned in contact with a sample to obtain an image. We demonstrate a focused spot size of λ/5 and an effective numerical aperture of 2.5 with λ=9.3 μm light. The total power transmitted through the lens is a factor of 103 greater than through a metal aperture giving the same spatial resolution. Two 1.0 μm holes in a metal film separated by 3.0 μm are imaged with the solid immersion lens in transmission and shown to be resolved.