Seagate Technology Incorporated

Huiwen Liu

Lin Zhou

Dale E Egbert

Peter John Gunderson

Jonathan Arland Nelson

Jianxin Zhu

John L Ibele

Timothy William Stoebe

Xuan Zheng

David Gerard Wobbe

Kah Choong Loo

Cing Siong Ling

Apparatus and associated method that contemplates performing a first atomic force microscope (AFM) scan of a first region of a sample centered at a first position at a first angle to produce a first scan image, the first AFM scan including a first component scan at a first speed and a second component scan at a second speed; performing a second AFM scan of the first region of the sample at a second angle to produce a second scan image, the second AFM scan including performing a third component scan at the first speed and a fourth component scan at the second speed; and correcting a first error in the first scan image based on the second scan image to produce a corrected image output.

Atomic force microscopy of scanning and image processing

The disclosure is related systems and method for improved accuracy and precision in Raman spectroscopy. In one embodiment, a device may comprise a Raman spectroscopic apparatus configured to determine a property of a sample by directing photons at the sample and measuring a resulting Raman scattering, a positioning apparatus capable of manipulating a position of the sample, and the device being configured to selectively adjust a focus of the Raman spectroscopic apparatus to adjust an intensity of the Raman scattering. Another embodiment may be a method comprising performing a depth focus Raman spectra screening on a sample to determine a depth focus with a maximum-intensity Raman spectra, wherein the depth focus spectra screening comprises performing Raman spectra scans on the sample at a plurality of depth foci, and modifying a process based on a result of the Raman spectra scan at the depth focus with the maximum-intensity Raman spectra.

Accuracy and precision in raman spectroscopy

A semi-automated method for atomic force microscopy ('AFM') scanning of a sample is disclosed. The method can include manually teaching a sample and AFM tip relative location on an AFM tool; then scanning, via a predefined program, on the same sample or other sample with same pattern to produce more images automatically.

Semi-auto scanning probe microscopy scanning

In certain embodiments, a probe scans a surface to produce a first scan. The first scan is used to estimate a vertical offset for scanning the surface to produce a second scan. In certain embodiments, an AFM device engages a probe to a surface using a piezo voltage. The probe scans the surface to produce a first scan. The first scan is used to estimate a vertical offset such that the probe uses the piezo voltage to engage the surface for a second scan at a different vertical position.

Methods and devices for correcting errors in atomic force microscopy

A topographic profile of a structure is generated using atomic force microscopy. The structure is scanned such that an area of interest of the structure is scanned at a higher resolution than portions of the structure outside of the area of interest. An profile of the structure is then generated based on the scan. To correct skew and tilt of the profile, a first feature of the profile is aligned with a first axis of a coordinate system. The profile is then manipulated to align a second feature of the profile with a second axis of the coordinate system.

A flexible member is coupled between an actuator arm and a slider. The flexible member facilitates relative motion in a tangential direction of a rotating medium. The relative motion is detected via a displacement sensor, and a friction between the slider and the rotating medium is determined based on the sensed relative motion.

Method and apparatus used for determining friction between slider and rotating data storage medium

A method and associated apparatus for topographically characterizing a workpiece. The workpiece is scanned with a scanning probe along a first directional grid, thereby scanning a reference surface and an area of interest subportion of the reference surface, at a variable pixel density including a first pixel density outside the area of interest and a second pixel density inside the area of interest to derive a first digital file characterizing topography of the workpiece. The workpiece is further scanned along the reference surface and the area of interest with the scanning probe along a second directional grid that is substantially orthogonal to the first directional grid and at a constant pixel density to derive a second digital file characterizing topography of the workpiece. A processor executes computer-readable instructions stored in memory that generate a topographical profile of the workpiece in relation to the first and second digital files.

Variable pixel density imaging

An apparatus and associated method for topographically characterizing a workpiece. A scanning probe obtains topographical data from the workpiece. A processor controls the scanning probe to scan a reference surface of the workpiece to derive a first digital file and to scan a surface of interest that includes at least a portion of the reference surface to derive a second digital file. Correlation pattern recognition logic integrates the first and second digital files together to align the reference surface with the surface of interest.

Scanning probe microscopy employing correlation pattern recognition

An atomic force microscopy (AFM) method includes a scanning probe that scans a surface of a structure to produce a first structure image. The structure is then rotated by 90&#xb0; with respect to the scanning probe. The scanning probe scans the surface of the structure again to produce a second structure image. The first and second structure images are combined to produce best fit image of the surface area of the structure. The same method is used to produce the best fit image of a flat standard. The best fit image of the flat standard is subtracted from the best fit image of the structure to obtain a true topographical image in which Z direction run out error is substantially reduced or eliminated.

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Huiwen Liu