Scanning capacitance microscopy

Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) is a variety of scanning probe microscopy in which a narrow probe electrode is positioned in contact or close proximity of a sample's surface and scanned. SCM characterizes the surface of the sample using information obtained from the change in electrostatic capacitance between the surface and the probe. Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) is a variety of scanning probe microscopy in which a narrow probe electrode is positioned in contact or close proximity of a sample's surface and scanned. SCM characterizes the surface of the sample using information obtained from the change in electrostatic capacitance between the surface and the probe. The name Scanning Capacitance Microscopy was first used to describe a quality control tool for the RCA/CED (Capacitance Electronic Disc), a video disk technology that was a predecessor of the DVD. It has since been adapted for use in combination with scanned probe microscopes for measuring other systems and materials with semiconductor doping profiling being the most prevalent.