Sii Nanotechnology Inc.

Seiko Instruments Inc

Tadashi Arai

Hiroshi Takahashi

Yoshiharu Shirakawabe

Nobuhiro Shimizu

Chiaki Yasumuro

In order to establish processing techniques capable of making multi-tip probes with sub-micron intervals and provide such microscopic multi-tip probes, there is provided an outermost surface analysis apparatus for semiconductor devices etc. provided with a function for enabling positioning to be performed in such a manner that there is no influence on measurement in electrical measurements at an extremely small region using this microscopic multi-tip probe, and there are provided the steps of making a cantileverformed with a plurality of electrodesusing lithographic techniques, and forming microscopic electrodesminute in pitch by sputtering or gas-assisted etching a distal end of the cantileverusing a focused charged particle beam or using CVD.

Surface characteristic analysis apparatus

Method of manufacturing the multi-tip probe, a multi-tip probe, and surface characteristic analysis apparatus

A self-detecting type cantilever for an atomic force microscope (AFM) has an electro-flexural conversion element for converting a flexural amount of the cantilever into an electric current or voltage, a temperature measurement element disposed at a front end portion of the cantilever for measuring a temperature, and a heating element disposed at the front end portion of the cantilever for heating the temperature measurement element. The temperature measurement element and the heating element are superposed with each other on a main face of the cantilever via an electrical insulating layer. As a result, even if the amount of electric energy supplied to the heating element is reduced, it is possible to effectively supply an amount of heat necessary for measurement to the temperature measurement element. Therefore, by minimizing the heat to be supplied to a sample and the cantilever, the respondency of measurement is improved and temperature measurement can be performed with a high degree of accuracy.

Heated self-detecting type cantilever for atomic force microscope

A multiprobe device is provided for a scanning probe instrument and has a plurality of individually-selectable probe members for conducting scanning probe operations. The multiprobe has a plurality of cantilever probes supported by a support member. Each of the cantilevers is individually-selectable for use in conducting scanning probe operations, and each has a different resonance frequency from the others. In a preferred embodiment, portions of the respective cantilevers that are brought into contact with a sample to conduct scanning probe operations are arranged in a substantially linear configuration. A given one of the cantilevers is selected by vibrating the multiprobe at the resonance frequency of the given cantilever.

Multiprobe and scanning probe microscope

A scanning probe apparatus and a self-exciting cantilever probe therefor are provided for measuring a characteristic of a sample by scanning a lever of the probe across the sample surface. The probe has a deflectable lever extending from a base and formed integrally therewith, and a resistive body provided on the lever to excite the lever in response to a periodic bias signal applied to the resistive body. In addition, the resistive body has a resistance value that varies in response to deflection of the lever so that the resistance of the resistive body may be monitored to detect deflection of the lever.

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Chiba, Japan

Tadashi Arai