A combined scanning electron microscope and scanning tunneling microscope for studying nanostructures

An instrument which incorporates an electrostatic scanning electron microscope and a scanning tunneling microscope in an ultrahigh vacuum environment has been developed to study nanostructures. To facilitate positioning the nanostructures for examination with the instrument a high precision orthogonal motion sample stage has been designed. The instrument has been applied to locate and study both nanometer size trenches and wires. These structures have been fabricated using electron beam lithography and a polymethlymethacrylate lift-off process.