Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Laurent Fillinger

Paul Louis Maria Joseph Van Neer

Maarten Hubertus Van Es

Daniele Piras

Hamed Sadeghian Marnani

Marcus Johannes Van Der Lans

Benoit Andre Jacques Quesson

Benoit André Jacques Quesson

The present document relates to a method of performing acoustic scanning probe microscopy for imaging structures underneath a substrate surface, comprising: applying an acoustic input signal to the substrate having a frequency above 1 gigahertz, detecting a return signal, and analyzing the return signal for obtaining information on the embedded structures. The step of applying the acoustic input signal comprises applying a plurality of acoustic signal components which each include a selected frequency. The step of detecting includes detecting a response signal for each of the plurality of acoustic signal components. The frequencies are selected such that the components provide a composite signal being a pulse signal of limited time duration. The invention is further directed at a scanning probe microscopy system and a computer program product.

Method, system and computer program for performing acoustic scanning probe microscopy

Atomic force microscopy system comprising an atomic force microscopy device and a substrate carrier having a carrier surface carrying a substrate. The substrate has a substrate main surface and a substrate scanning surface opposite the substrate main surface. The atomic force microscopy device comprises a scan head including a probe. The probe comprises a cantilever and a probe tip arranged on the cantilever. The atomic force device further comprises an actuator cooperating with at least one of the scan head or the substrate carrier for moving the probe tip and the substrate carrier relative to each other in one or more directions parallel to the carrier surface for scanning of the substrate scanning surface with the probe tip. A signal application actuator applies, during said scanning, an acoustic input signal to the substrate, said acoustic input signal generating a first displacement field in a first displacement direction only. A tip position detector monitors motion of the probe tip relative to the scan head during said scanning for obtaining an output signal. The tip position detector is arranged for monitoring motion of the probe tip only in a direction orthogonal to the displacement direction.

Atomic force microscopy system, method for mapping one or more subsurface structures located in a semiconductor device or for monitoring lithographic parameters in a semiconductor device and use of such an atomic force microscopy system

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The Hague, Netherlands

Laurent Fillinger