Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Roelof Willem Herfst

Anton Adriaan Bijnagte

Jan Jacobus Benjamin Biemond

Albert Dekker

Hamed Sadeghian Marnani

Lukas Kramer

Klara Maturova

Klára MaturovÁ

The present document relates to a probe chip for use in a scanning probe microscopy device for holding a probe mounted thereon. The probe chip includes a carrier element having a probe bearing side which is configured for bearing the probe to be extending therefrom as an integral or mounted part thereof. The carrier element further comprises a mounting side configured for mounting the probe chip onto a scan head of the scanning probe microscopy device, wherein the mounting side extends in a longitudinal and lateral direction of the carrier element to be substantially flat. The carrier element towards the probe bearing side thereof is truncated in the lateral direction on either side of a longitudinal axis through a center of the carrier element, such as to enable a rotation of the probe chip over a rotation angle around the longitudinal axis in use when the longitudinal axis is inclined at an inclination angle relative to a substrate surface to be scanned and when the probe is in a measurement position relative to the substrate surface.

Probe chip, scan head, scanning probe microscopy device and use of a probe chip

The present disclosure concerns probe cassettefor holding a probein storage to provide automated transfer of the probe to a probe mount of a scanning probe microscope. The probe cassette comprising a first vacuum chamber Cwith a volume V, and a second vacuum chamber Cwith a volume V, and a first and second vacuum channel, respectively fluidly connecting the first and second vacuum chamber to an outletfluidly connectable to an external vacuum, such that upon application of the external vacuum a mounting position of the probe relative to the cassette and a mounting position of the cassette relative to the sample stage is maintained. The probe cassette arranged to allow breaking a vacuum condition in the second chamber maintaining the mounting position of the probe before breaking a vacuum condition in the first chamber maintaining a mounting position of the probe cassette.

Probe cassette for holding a probe in storage for use in a scanning probe microscope

This document relates to a probe for use in a scanning probe microscopy device. The probe comprises a cantilever and a probe tip being located at a first end section of the cantilever. The cantilever is configured for bending in a Z-direction perpendicular to a surface of a substrate in use. The cantilever comprises a neck section and a paddle section, and the probe tip is located on the paddle section. The neck section has a width and height in cross section thereof, comprises a base part having a rectangular cross section. The cantilever at least across a length of the neck section comprises a ridge extending in a direction away from the base part. The base part and the ridge together define the width and height of the neck section, and have dimensions such that a vertical bending stiffness of the cantilever for bending in the Z-direction matches a lateral stiffness of the cantilever with respect to forces acting on the probe tip in a direction transverse to the Z-direction. The document further describes a manufacturing method.

Probe, method of manufacturing a probe and scanning probe microscopy system

The present invention relates to a scan head for a scanning probe microscope arranged for moving a probe including a conductive cantilever relatively to a substrate surface, the head comprising: a first electrode positioned such that a capacitor is formed across a gap between the first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is formed by the conductive cantilever; a voltage source for actuating the conductive cantilever by applying a voltage to the capacitor; and at least a first resistor arranged in series between the voltage source and one of the first and second electrodes such as to form an RC circuit for damping a vibration of the cantilever.

Scanning probe microscope, scan head and method

The invention is directed at a method of performing scanning probe microscopy on a substrate surface using a scanning probe microscopy system. A probe tip and substrate surface are moved relative to each other in one or more directions parallel to the scanning plane to position the probe tip to a scanning position on the substrate surface with the probe tip; a displacement is measured by an encoder of said probe tip in said one or more directions; and a fiducial pattern is provided fixed relative to the substrate surface, said fiducial pattern having a scannable structure that is scannable by said probe tip and said structure forming a grid of fiducial marks in said one or more dimensions; said grid dimensioned to allow for measuring placement deviations of the probe tip relative to the probe head by identifying one or more fiducial marks in the fiducial pattern.

Growing community of inventors

Capelle aan den Ijssel, Netherlands

Roelof Willem Herfst