Abstract
We built a scanning force microscope working in ultrahigh vacuum. The lever deflection is measured by a fiber‐optic interferometer. To detect large lever deflections the distance between the fiber end and the cantilever backside is controllable by a piezoelectric device. With this technique force–distance curves can be acquired even over large distances. We implemented a stepper motor with gear reduction system for coarse approach in our microscope. First measurements of thin goldfilmsgrown on mica obtained in situ at 10−8 Pa are presented.

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