Preface INTRODUCTION Introduction Structure of the Book References INTRODUCTION OF NEAR-FIELD OPTICS Far-Field Light and Diffraction Effect Concept of Near-Field Optics and Optical Near-Field Microscopy Instrumentation of Optical Near-Field Imaging Techniques for Control of the Tip-Sample Distance Tapered Optical Fiber Based Optical Near-Field Probes Disadvantages of Optical Fiber Based Probes and Solutions with Silicon Micromachined Probes References INTRODUCTION OF SILICON MICROMACHINING TECHNOLOGY Lithography Thermal Oxidation of Silicon Metallization Silicon Etching Silicon Oxide Etching Anodic Bonding and Packaging References FABRICATION OF SILICON MICROPROBES FOR OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD APPLICATIONS Overview of Micromachined Optical Near-Field Probes Design of the Probes Principle of the Fabrication Process Detail of the Fabrication Process Fabrication Results and Discussion References EVALUATION OF THE MICROFABRICATED OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD PROBES Optical Throughput Measurement Measurement of Spatial Distribution of the Near-Field Light at the Fabricated Aperture Polarization Behaviors of the Fabricated Aperture Static and Dynamic Properties of the Fabricated Cantilevers Discussion References NOVEL PROBES FOR LOCALLY ENHANCING OF NEAR-FIELD LIGHT AND OTHER APPLICATIONS Fabrication of the Coaxial Apertured Probe Fabrication of Apertured Probe with a Single Carbon Nano Tube Fabrication of the Apertured Probe with an Embedded Ag Particle Fabrication and Characterization of a Hybrid Structure of Optical Fiber and Apertured Cantilever for Optical Near-Field Applications Fabrication and Characterization of Metallic Contacts in Nanoscale Size for Thermal Profiler and Thermal Recording Probe Array Initial Results of the Fabrication of Electron Field Emission Devices Discussion References USING FINITE DIFFERENCE TIME DOMAIN METHOD Introduction FDTD modeling for optical near-field simulation Results of the FDTD simulation References SUB-WAVELENGTH OPTICAL IMAGING WITH THE FABRICATED PROBES Introduction Measurement Setups Measurement Results Discussion References OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD LITHOGRAPHY Introduction Fabrication of Nanoscale Aperture and Slits Optical Near-Field Patterns Transfer Grid Pattern Transfer Using Polarized Light Conclusion References OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD RECORDING WITH THE FABRICATED APERTURE ARRAY Introduction Concept of the VCSEL/NSOM and Fabrication Process Results of Fabrication and First Result of Recording Discussion References FUTURE ASPECT AND CONCLUSIONS Future Aspect Conclusion of the Work Subject Index >Principle of the Fabrication Process Detail of the Fabrication Process Fabrication Results and Discussion References EVALUATION OF THE MICROFABRICATED OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD PROBES Optical Throughput Measurement Measurement of Spatial Distribution of the Near-Field Light at the Fabricated Aperture Polarization Behaviors of the Fabricated Aperture Static and Dynamic Properties of the Fabricated Cantilevers Discussion References NOVEL PROBES FOR LOCALLY ENHANCING OF NEAR-FIELD LIGHT AND OTHER APPLICATIONS Fabrication of the Coaxial Apertured Probe Fabrication of Apertured Probe with a Single Carbon Nano Tube Fabrication of the Apertured Probe with an Embedded Ag Particle Fabrication and Characterization of a Hybrid Structure of Optical Fiber and Apertured Cantilever for Optical Near-Field Applications Fabrication and Characterization of Metallic Contacts in Nanoscale Size for Thermal Profiler and Thermal Recording Probe Array Initial Results of the Fabrication of Electron Field Emission Devices Discussion References USING FINITE DIFFERENCE TIME DOMAIN METHOD Introduction FDTD modeling for optical near-field simulation Results of the FDTD simulation References SUB-WAVELENGTH OPTICAL IMAGING WITH THE FABRICATED PROBES Introduction Measurement Setups Measurement Results Discussion References OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD LITHOGRAPHY Introduction Fabrication of Nanoscale Aperture and Slits Optical Near-Field Patterns Transfer Grid Pattern Transfer Using Polarized Light Conclusion References OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD RECORDING WITH THE FABRICATED APERTURE ARRAY Introduction Concept of the VCSEL/NSOM and Fabrication Process Results of Fabrication and First Result of Recording Discussion References FUTURE ASPECT AND CONCLUSIONS Future Aspect Conclusion of the Work Subject Index Nanoscale Size for Thermal Profiler and Thermal Recording Probe Array Initial Results of the Fabrication of Electron Field Emission Devices Discussion References USING FINITE DIFFERENCE TIME DOMAIN METHOD Introduction FDTD modeling for optical near-field simulation Results of the FDTD simulation References SUB-WAVELENGTH OPTICAL IMAGING WITH THE FABRICATED PROBES Introduction Measurement Setups Measurement Results Discussion References OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD LITHOGRAPHY Introduction Fabrication of Nanoscale Aperture and Slits Optical Near-Field Patterns Transfer Grid Pattern Transfer Using Polarized Light Conclusion References OPTICAL NEAR-FIELD RECORDING WITH THE FABRICATED APERTURE ARRAY Introduction Concept of the VCSEL/NSOM and Fabrication Process Results of Fabrication and First Result of Recording Discussion References FUTURE ASPECT AND CONCLUSIONS Future Aspect Conclusion of the Work Subject Index brication and First Result of Recording Discussion References FUTURE ASPECT AND CONCLUSIONS Future Aspect Conclusion of the Work Subject Index.