Scanning near-field microwave microscopy for spatially localized metrology of nano-scale materials and devices

In the past decade near-field microwave microscopy has emerged as a novel approach to non-destructive imaging of materials' electrodynamic properties on sub-wavelength scales. In the near-field approach the spatial resolution is governed by the probe geometry rather than the wavelength of the radiation utilized. Therefore, even at microwave frequencies with wavelengths on the order of centimeters, sub-micron spatial resolution is possible.