Seiko Instruments Inc

Sii Nanotechnology Inc.

Akihiko Honma

Kazutoshi Watanabe

Akira Inoue

Takeshi Umemoto

Yukihiro Sato

Ryuichi Matsuzaki

There is provided a scanning probe microscope capable of simply and accurately confirming whether or not a sample shape satisfies specified conditions. A pseudo reference image Srefcomprises a pair of reference line profiles Lrefand Lrefarranged apart form each other in parallel. An operator moves and rotates the position of the pseudo reference image Srefon a screen so that a sample shape line profile fits between the reference line profiles Lrefand Lrefof the pseudo reference image Sref. If it is possible to fit the line profile of the sample shape between the reference line profiles Lrefand Lref, it is determined that the sample shape is in spec, while if it is not possible to fit the line profile of the sample shape between the reference line profiles Lrefand Lref, no matter how the pseudo reference image Srefis moved and rotated, it is determined that the sample shape is out of spec.

Scanning probe microscope

A scanning probe microscope simply and accurately confirms whether or not a sample shape satisfies specified conditions. A pseudo reference image Srefcomprises a pair of reference line profiles Lrefand Lrefarranged apart from each other in parallel. An operator moves and rotates the position of the pseudo reference image Srefon a screen so that a sample shape line profile fits between the reference line profiles Lrefand Lrefof the pseudo reference image Sref. If it is possible to fit the line profile of the sample shape between the reference line profiles Lrefand Lref, it is determined that the sample shape is in spec, while if it is not possible to fit the line profile of the sample shape between the reference line profiles Lrefand Lref, no matter how the pseudo reference image Srefis moved and rotated, it is determined that the sample shape is out of spec.

A probe scanning device has a first tubular member extending in a z direction. A second tubular member has a rear end portion extending into the first tubular member to define a space between an inner peripheral surface portion of the first tubular member and an outer peripheral surface portion of the second tubular member. A probe tip is mounted on a front end portion of the second tubular member. A viscous material is disposed in the space between the first tubular member and the second tubular member. A moving mechanism reciprocally moves the first tubular member in an xy direction, and a voice coil motor drives the second tubular member towards the first tubular member in the z direction. A drive mechanism has a coarse adjustment mode for coarsely moving the probe tip toward a surface of a sample and a measurement mode for fine movement of the probe tip in the z direction to maintain a given relationship between relative positions of the probe tip and the sample surface after coarse movement. A connecting mechanism selectively integrally connects the first tubular member and the second tubular member to one another.

Probe scanning device

A scanning probe microscope for scanning a probe needle in proximity to a surface of a sample in XY-axis directions while moving at least one of the probe and the sample in a Z-axis direction has a plurality of band-pass filters for passing a plurality of band-pass signals by extracting predetermined frequency bands different one another from a surface geometry signal output by a probe. An image memory stores the respective band-pass signals and corresponding positions on the sample surface, and a color image outputting device outputs a color image by treating each of the respective band-pass signals stored as image data in the image memory as different color data and combining the data. The plurality of band-pass signals includes a first band-pass signal having a first frequency range set to include only abrupt transitions in the sample surface and a second band-pass signal having a second frequency range set to include frequencies slightly outside the first frequency range so that abrupt transitions in geometry on the sample surface are represented by a first color in response to the first band-pass signal and areas directly adjacent the abrupt transitions on the sample surface are represented by a second color different from the first color.

An improved stable feedback control circuit for a scanning probe microscope has a vibrationally driven cantilever having a probe mounted at a distal end thereof at a frequency near the resonance frequency thereof and a light detector for measuring deflection of the cantilever in response to a repulsive force acting between the probe and a surface of a sample and producing a pair of output signals which vary depending upon deflection of the cantilever and a detected signal having the vibrating frequency of the cantilever as a fundamental frequency component thereof, a method for controlling the probe microscope comprising the steps of: producing a plurality of input signals for the feedback control circuit comprising a first input signal equivalent to the root-mean-square value of the detected signal and a second input signal equivalent to a difference between, or the sum of, the pair of output signals of the light detector, and adding the first and second input signals to produce a feedback control signal used for maintaining a constant distance between the probe and the sample surface.

Method of controlling probe microscope

In a scanning type probe microscope, a semiconductor laser LD is driven by a current having a value not more than an oscillation threshold value using a constant current circuit for weak light, and weak light is used to perform positional adjustment of the position of the laser beam on a cantilever.

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Chiba, Japan

Akihiko Honma