Sii Nanotechnology Inc.

Seiko Instruments Inc

Japan Science and Technology Agency

Riken Corporation

Masato Iyoki

Masatsugu Shigeno

Kazutoshi Watanabe

Naoya Watanabe

Hiroyoshi Yamamoto

Koji Suzuki

Norio Chiba

Hiroshi Muramatsu

Eisuke Tomita

Yoshiteru Shikakura

Takashi Murakami

Masafumi Watanabe

Satoshi Kawata

Kazuhito Tsukagoshi

Kenichi Maruyama

Masao Hasegawa

Akihiko Hidaka

Yuika Saito

Yasushi Inoue

A microscope including both an atomic force microscope and a near-field optical microscope and capable of performing electrochemical measurements and a cantilever for the microscope are disclosed. A pointed light transmitting material employed as the probe of an atomic force microscope is coated with a metal layer; the metal layer is further coated with an insulating layer; the insulating layer is removed only at the distal end to expose the metal layer; the slightly exposed metal layer is employed as a working electrode; and the probe can be employed not only as the probe of the atomic force microscope and the near-field optical microscope but also as the electrode of an electrochemical microscope. Consequently, the microscope can have the functions of an atomic force microscope, a near-field optical microscope and an electrochemical microscope.

Cantilever for scanning probe microscope and scanning probe microscope equipped with it

Provided is a cantilever that is capable of bending and deforming in an active manner by itself. The cantilever includes: a lever portion having a proximal end that is supported by a main body part; and a resistor member that is formed in the cantilever and generates heat when a voltage is applied, to thereby deform the lever portion by thermal expansion due to the heat.

Cantilever, cantilever system, scanning probe microscope, mass sensor apparatus, viscoelasticity measuring instrument, manipulation apparatus, displacement determination method of cantilever, vibration method of cantilever and deformation method of cantilever

A cantilever has a probe portion and a cantilever portion having a free end portion from which the probe portion extends. A displacement detecting portion detects a displacement of the cantilever portion according to an interaction between a sample and the probe portion. An electrode portion is connected to the displacement detecting portion. An insulation film is formed over at least one of the electrode portion and the displacement detecting portion. A functional coating in the form one of a conductive film, a magnetic film, and a film having a light intensity amplifying effect is disposed on the insulation film.

Self displacement sensing cantilever and scanning probe microscope

By resistor attached by a piezoelectric element, measurement with high accuracy is possible by strain of the piezoelectric element. A piezoelectric actuator includes the piezoelectric element which is formed into an arbitrary shape, polarized in an arbitrary direction, and includes electrodes provided on at least two surfaces opposed in a thickness direction thereof. The piezoelectric actuator also includes a driver power supply for applying a voltage between the electrodes to generate strain in the piezoelectric element, a driver power supply for applying a voltage to generate strain in the piezoelectric element, resistors provided on the electrodes through intermediation of insulators, and a displacement detection device connected with the resistors. The electrodes of the piezoelectric element on which the resistors are provided are set at a ground potential.

Piezoelectric actuator provided with a displacement meter, piezoelectric element, and positioning device

The cylindrical piezoelectric actuator which comprised a piezoelectric element which provided electrode in each of an inner peripheral face and an outer peripheral face which was cylindrical at least, and drive power supply to drive it. And the outer side electrode of the piezoelectric element covered the substantially circumferential outer face entirety and it was connected to a ground potential, and the electrode in the internal perimeter surface connected to drive power supply.

Circular cylinder type piezoelectric actuator and piezoelectric element and scanning probe microscope using those

In detecting a displacement of a cantilever () by a displacement detecting mechanism () and allowing a probe () and a sample () to approach each other by at least one of a coarse-movement mechanism () and a vertical direction fine-movement mechanism () at the same time, an excitation mechanism () excites the cantilever () with a first excitation condition and the probe () and the sample () are allowed to approach each other with a first stop condition, and then the cantilever () is excited with a second excitation condition different from the first excitation condition, a second stop condition is set, and the probe () and the sample () are allowed to approach each other by the at least one of the vertical direction fine-movement mechanism () and the coarse-movement mechanism () until the second stop condition is satisfied.

Approach method for probe and sample in scanning probe microscope

There is provided an optical displacement detection mechanism in which, even if a measurement object changes, a detection sensitivity and a ratio of a noise are adjustable without depending on optical characteristics such as reflectivity, or a shape and mechanical characteristics of a measurement object, an influence of a thermal deformation of the measurement object by an irradiated light to the measurement object can be made small, and a measurement accuracy can be ensured under optimum conditions. In an optical displacement detection mechanism comprising a light source irradiating a light to a cantilever becoming the measurement object, a light source drive circuit driving the light source, a photodetector receiving the light after irradiated to the cantilever from the light source to thereby detect an intensity of the light, and an amplifier amplifying a detection signal of the photodetector at a predetermined amplification rate, there is made such that, by providing a light intensity regulator and an amplification rate regulator, an irradiated light intensity to the cantilever and an amplification rate of the photodetector can be made variable.

Optical displacement detection mechanism and surface information measurement device using the same

The sensor has the self-detecting probe including a body portion, an elongated belt-like flexible substrate, connecting members, a resinous portion, and external contacts formed at the ends of the flexible substrate brought out of liquid. The probe further includes a cantilever whose base end is supported to the body portion, a strain resistive element whose resistance value varies according to the amount of displacement of the cantilever, and interconnects electrically connected with the strain resistive element. A probe tip is formed at the front end of the cantilever. The flexible substrate has an interconnect pattern sandwiched between two insulating sheets. The flexible substrate supports the body portion while the cantilever protrudes outwardly. At least one end of the flexible substrate is brought out of liquid. The connecting members connect the interconnects with the interconnect pattern. The interconnects, connecting members, and the portions of the connecting members electrically connected with the interconnect pattern are coated with the resinous portion.

Sensor for observations in liquid environments and observation apparatus for use in liquid environments

The optical displacement-detecting mechanism has: a light source for irradiating a target for measurement with light; a light source-driving circuit for driving the light source; an optical detector made from a semiconductor for receiving light after the irradiation of the target for measurement by the light source and converting the light into an electric signal thereby to detect an intensity of light; and an amplifier including a current-voltage conversion circuit for performing current-to-voltage conversion on a detection signal of the optical detector with a predetermined amplification factor. In the optical displacement-detecting mechanism, a light source having a spectrum half width of 10 nm or larger is used, whereby the light source can be driven with an output power of 2 mW or larger without generating mode hop noise and optical feedback noise.

Optical displacement-detecting mechanism and probe microscope using the same

A displacement detection mechanism for a scanning probe microscope capable of performing measurement quickly with high precision even if an objective lens or an illumination system is arranged above or below a sample or a cantilever, and a scanning probe microscope comprising it. The displacement detection mechanism () for a scanning probe microscope comprising a supporting section () for supporting a cantilever (), a light source () for irradiating a reflective surface () with light, and a light receiving section () for receiving light reflected off the reflective surface (), and detecting displacement of the cantilever () based on the light receiving position of the light receiving section (), wherein the rear end of the cantilever () is secured to the supporting section (), and the above light is allowed to impinge on the reflective surface (), while inclining toward the X axis and Y axis, from above regions B and C on the distal end side of the cantilever () out of regions A, B, C and D sectioned, when viewed from the above, by the Y axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the cantilever () and the X axis passing through the reflective surface () and extending in the direction intersecting the Y axis perpendicularly.

Scanning probe microscope displacement detecting mechanism and scanning probe microscope using same

An inching mechanism for a scanning probe microscope capable of performing measurement with high precision while enhancing the scanning speed by a probe furthermore, and a scanning probe microscope comprising it. The inching mechanism for a scanning probe microscope which is provided in a scanning probe microscope (SPM) () having a stage () for mounting a sample S, and a probe () approaching closely to or touching the surface of the sample S, characterized in that the inching mechanism comprises a first drive section and a second drive section provided independently, a probe inching mechanism () having the first drive section and inching, by the first drive section, the probe () in the X direction and Y direction parallel with the surface of the sample S and intersecting each other, and a stage inching mechanism () having the second drive section and inching, by the second drive section, the stage () in the Z direction perpendicular to the surface of the sample S.

Scanning probe microscope fine-movement mechanism and scanning probe microscope using same

A vibration-type cantilever holder holds a cantilever opposed to a sample. The holder supports a main body part of the cantilever at only its base end so that a probe at the free end of the cantilever can contact the sample. The holder has a cantilever-attaching stand on which the main body part is placed and fastened such that the cantilever is tilted at a predetermined angle with respect to the sample. A first vibration source is fastened to the cantilever-attaching stand and vibrates with a phase and an amplitude depending on a predetermined waveform signal, and the first vibration source is fastened at a first location to a holder main body. A second vibration source is fastened at a second location, which is spaced from the first location, to the holder main body and generates vibrations to offset vibrations traveling from the first vibration source to the cantilever-attaching stand and holder main body. The holder allows the cantilever to vibrate according to the vibrational characteristics of only the cantilever by counteracting additional vibrations.

Vibration-type cantilever holder and scanning probe microscope

The invention provides a fine-adjustment mechanism for a scanning probe microscopy with high rigidity and high degree of measurement accuracy wherein a strain gauge displacement sensor which can be installed in a small space is arranged so that temperature compensation is achieved. The fine-adjustment mechanism composed of a piezoelectric device is provided with at least two-piece electrode. One of the electrodes is configured as a dummy electrode, to which no voltage is applied, and the other electrode is configured as an active electrode which generates strain when voltage is applied. One or two resistors are provided on each of the active electrode and dummy electrode, and a bridge circuit is configured by the resistors.

Fine-adjustment mechanism for scanning probe microscopy

A manufacturing method for a light propagating probe comprises a step of sharpening a light-propagating body having a sharpened section formed on an optical fiber, a step of forming the light-propagating body into a hook shape close to the sharpened section, a metal film coating step for forming a transparent opening section in a tip section, a step of protecting the transparent opening section with a resist material, a step of forming a reflecting surface for a light lever method, a step for metal film coating a spring operating part to the rear from the hook-shaped section, and a step of removing the resist material protecting the transparent opening section.

Method of manufacturing light-propagating probe for near-field microscope

In a manufacture of a probe for a scattering type near-field microscope, there is provided a method of coating, with a high reproducibility, uniform metal particles efficiently inducing a surface enhanced Raman scattering. It has been adapted such that, in the probe for the scattering type near-field microscope, one part or all of the probe due to an interaction of at least an evanescent field is coated by metal particles which don't mutually adhere and have a particle diameter of 10 nm or larger and 50 nm or smaller in radius of curvature.

Growing community of inventors

Chiba, Japan

Masato Iyoki