Abstract: In a method of measuring an exchange force between a specimen and a probe, the specimen and probe are faced to each other with a distance within a close proximity or RKKY-type exchange interaction region from a distance at which conduction electron clouds begin to be overlapped with each other to a distance at which localized electron clouds are not substantially overlapped with each other, a relative displacement of the specimen and probe is detected to measure a first force under such a condition that directions of magnetic moments of said specimen surface and probe are in parallel with each other to derive a first force and under such a condition that directions of magnetic moments of said specimen surface and probe are in anti-parallel with each other to derive a second force. An exchange force is derived as a difference between said first and second forces. Magnetic property of the specimen can be evaluated on the basis of the thus measured exchange force.

Abstract: In an apparatus for measuring an exchange force between a specimen and a probe, the specimen and probe are faced to each other with a distance within a close proximity or RKKY-type exchange interaction region from a distance at which conduction electron clouds begin to be overlapped with each other to a distance at which localized electron clouds are not substantially overlapped with each other. In order to prevent the probe from being attracted to the specimen by a force between the specimen and the force, a piezoelectric element is provided on a cantilever and a control signal supplied to the piezoelectric element is produced in accordance with a displacement of the cantilever to control a spring constant of the cantilever. The exchange force between the specimen and the probe is calculated from the control signal supplied to the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: A spin-polarization detector having in a region applied with a high voltage a target for scattering a measured electron beam and an electron detector for detecting scattered electrons from the target is disclosed, in which a fluorescent screen is used as the electron detector, and a light pulse from the fluorescent screen is transmitted through an optical guide to a photodetector disposed in a region having the ground potential, to be converted into an electric signal. The spin-polarization detector is simple in structure, small in size, and low in manufacturing cost. Further, when a plurality of scattered-electron detecting systems each including the target and the fluorescent screen are piled in a spin-polarization detector, the detection efficiency of the spin-polarization detector will be greatly enhanced.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a scanning electron mircoscope suitable for observing the magnetization condition of the portion of a magnetic material which is in the vicinity of the surface thereof. This microscope consists of means for emitting a fine electron beam to the upper surface of a sample, means for scanning the sample surface with the fine electron beam, means for collecting secondary electrons from the sample, means for detecting a spin polarization vector of the collected secondary electrons, means for converting a component, which is in an arbitrary direction in the surface of the sample, and/or a component, which is in the normal direction of the surface of the sample, of the detected polarization vector into a picture signal which is representative of an image obtained through the scanning electron microscope, and means for indicating the picture image on a display.