Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Agere Systems Inc.

Terri Lynn Shofner

Erik Cho Houge

Larry E Plew

Jeffrey Bruce Bindell

Fred Anthony Stevie

Frederick A Stevie

Kim Elshot

Tingkwan Cheung

Jennifer Lynn Drown

The present invention provides and apparatus and method for scanning a crystalline sample comprising a sample holder, an electron source for generating an electron beam and a scanning actuator for controlling the relative movement between the electron beam and the crystalline sample. In addition, an image processor is provided for processing images from electrons from the crystalline sample and a controller for controlling the scanning actuator to space points on the crystalline sample, at which the electron beam is directed. The points are preferably spaced apart a distance that is at least as large as a known grain size of the crystalline sample. The controller determines a grain orientation with respect to each point within a series of points within a scan area of the crystalline sample. The controller determines an average grain orientation for the crystalline sample for current image and a previously processed image. The controller monitors a variance in the average deviation and terminates the scanning when the variance in the average grain orientation approaches a predetermined value.

Apparatus for scanning a crystalline sample and associated methods

A scanning probe microscope includes a sensor head adjacent a stage for holding a sample, a scanning actuator for positioning the sensor head relative to the sample, and a probe carried by the sensor head. The probe preferably includes a base connected to the sensor head, a shank extending from the base at an angle offset from perpendicular to the base, and a tip connected to a distal end of the shank for contacting the sample. The angle is preferably in a range of 5 to 20&deg;. The tip is preferably laterally offset from the base to permit viewing of the tip without interference from the shank and the base. Thus, the location of the probe tip relative to the sample may be more easily determined.

Probe for scanning probe microscopy and related methods

A method of thinning a cut electron transparent membrane used in transmission electron microscopy is disclosed. An electron transparent thin film membrane is cut from a sample that is positioned within a focused ion beam device by focusing an ion beam in a predetermined direction onto the sample to mill the sample and cut the transparent thin film membrane from the sample. The membrane is mounted onto a transmission electron microscope grid having a mesh surface and carbon coating. It is mounted in a vertical orientation onto a support stage of a focused ion beam device such that the membrane is mounted vertically and parallel with the incident focused ion beam produced by the focused ion beam device. The support stage is tilted a predetermined amount to orient the membrane at an angle incident to the focused ion beam. The ion beam is focused at a glancing angle into a predetermined portion of the membrane for thinning the membrane by cutting a thin portion from the membrane.

Method of thinning an electron transparent thin film membrane on a TEM grid using a focused ion beam

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method of manufacturing that apparatus. More specifically, to a method of manufacturing probes for a stylus nanoprofilometer having a non-circular probe tip geometry and a method of measurement of semiconductor wafer features using the same. In one embodiment, the probe comprises an upper portion couplable to the stylus nanoprofilometer and a probative portion coupled to the upper portion. The probative portion has a cross section that is substantially thinner than a cross section of the upper portion. The probative portion further has a terminus distal the upper portion and a reentrant angle from the terminus to the upper portion.

Method of mapping a surface using a probe for stylus nanoprofilometry having a non-circular cross-section

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North Plains, OR, United States of America

Terri Lynn Shofner