Tapping mode capacitance microscopy

We present a new technique for microscopic capacitance measurements. Capacitance microscopy is combined with tapping mode force microscopy. The tapping motion is successfully used for the capacitance modulation and also for the tip-sample distance regulation. Furthermore, capacitive and topographic images are simultaneously obtained. The technique was applied to observations of a gratinglike electrode and of a nitride-oxide-silicon structure for a nonvolatile memory.