Fei Comapny

Fei Efa, Inc.

Sean Dale Zumwalt

Rohit Jain

Andrew Norman Erickson

Stephen Bradley Ippolito

Anton Riley

Jordan Fine

Systems, methods, and program products are provided for the calibration and scanning of multiple AFM probe heads used employed together for synchronous scanning. An automated calibration process is provided employing scan data from multiple AFM probe heads to automatically calibrate the system and position the probe heads at relative offset positions that are successively closer and more precise. Multiple heads are scanned simultaneously and synchronously to produce scan images, which are automatically evaluated to recognize a common feature. From this, a relative offset of the images is calculated and the true position of each probe tip may be known. Using this knowledge, a position offset is applied to bring the probe tips closer together at a desired spatial relationship. The techniques may be repeated at two or more levels varying from coarse to fine, and may be repeated after probing or movement to a new region of interest.

Method for calibrating and imaging using multi-tip scanning probe microscope

Using a local-potential-driving probe drives a conductor to a known potential while adjacent lines are grounded through the sample body reduces electrostatic scanning microscope signal from adjacent lines, allows imaging of metal lines deeper in the sample. Providing different potentials locally on different conductive lines using multiple local-potential-driving probes allows different conductors to be highlighted in the same image, for example, by changing the phase of the signal being applied to the different local-potential-driving probes.

Method for imaging a feature using a scanning probe microscope

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Oxnard, CA, United States of America

Sean Dale Zumwalt