Bruker Nano Gmbh

Sean Michael Hand

Jason Osborne

Vladimir Fonoberov

James M Young

Andrew Lopez

Xianghai Wu

Eric Milligan

A method of operating an atomic force microscope (AFM), using a denoising algorithm, real-time, during AFM data acquisition. Total Variation and Non-Local Means denoising are preferred. Real time images with minimized sensor noise needing no post-image acquisition processing to account for noise as described herein results.

AFM imaging with metrology-preserving real time denoising

An atomic force microscope (AFM) and method of operating the same includes a separate Z height sensor to measure, simultaneously with AFM system control, probe sample distance, pixel-by-pixel during AFM data acquisition. By mapping the AFM data to low resolution data of the Z height data, a high resolution final data image corrected for creep is generated in real time.

AFM imaging with creep correction

An apparatus and method of operating an atomic force profiler (AFP), such as an AFM, using a feedforward control signal in subsequent scan lines of a large area sample to achieve large throughput advantages in, for example, automated applications.

High speed atomic force profilometry of large areas

A system and method of operating an atomic force microscope (AFM) that includes providing relative scanning motion between a probe of the AFM and a sample in a slow scan direction of a data scan to generate a reference image (plane) of a region of interest. Then, relative scanning motion between the probe and the sample is provided in a fast scan direction of a final data scan to generate a data image. By mapping the data image against the reference image in real-time during the supplying step, the preferred embodiments generate a final drift corrected data image without post-image acquisition processing.

AFM imaging with real time drift correction

A scanning probe microscope (SPM) system and associated method. The SPM system having a probe adapted to interact with nanoscale features of a sample and scan within a target region to produce a three-dimensional image of that target region, the system maintaining location information for a plurality of features of interest of the sample according to a sample-specific coordinate system, wherein the SPM system is configured to adjust positioning of the probe relative to the sample according to a SPM coordinate system, the SPM system further configured to manage a dynamic relationship between the sample-specific coordinate system and the SPM coordinate system by determining a set of alignment errors between the sample-specific coordinate system and the SPM coordinate system and apply corrections to the SPM coordinate system to offset the determined alignment errors.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Sean Michael Hand