Sii Nanotechnology Inc.

Hitachi High-Tech Science Corporation

Seiko Instruments Inc

Yoshiteru Shikakura

Kazutoshi Watanabe

Masatsugu Shigeno

Hiroyoshi Yamamoto

Masatoshi Yasutake

Atsushi Uemoto

Naoya Watanabe

Osamu Takaoka

Shigeru Wakiyama

Masato Iyoki

Masafumi Watanabe

Itaru Kitajima

Takehiro Yamaoka

Kazunori Ando

Takuya Nakaue

Toshihiro Ueno

Kunihito Higa

Masayuki Iwasa

Masaki Tsuchihashi

Shinya Kudo

Provided are a scanning probe microscope and a setting method thereof that contribute to a reduction in the time taken for measuring. The scanning probe microscope includes: a movement driving unit capable of moving a cantilever and a sample relatively in at least a z direction; and a control device operating an approach operation of making the cantilever and the sample approach to each other at a predetermined speed by controlling the movement driving unit, and stopping the approach operation when it is determined that the probe and the sample are in contact with each other, wherein the predetermined speed is set such that when the control for stopping the approach operation is performed, force applied to the sample due to contact between the probe and the sample does not exceed a preset first force.

Scanning probe microscope and setting method thereof

Provided is a scanning probe microscope with which measurement data and a distribution image of differential data of the measurement data can be displayed selectively or together, an edge enhancement image can be obtained, and user convenience is improved. A scanning probe microscope () includes: a distribution image calculator () configured to calculate a one-dimensional or two-dimensional first distribution image () of measurement data, and a one-dimensional or two-dimensional second distribution image () of differential data of adjacent data elements of the measurement data; and a display controller () configured to instruct the distribution image calculator to calculate at least one of the first distribution image or the second distribution image, and to display the calculated distribution image on a predetermined display.

Scanning probe microscope

A scanning probe microscope has a cantilever having: a probe that is to be contacted or approached on a surface of a sample; and a processor that operates to perform a process including: calculating a measurement width MW and an offset value OV from a minimum value Sand a maximum value Sof a signal indicating a displacement of the cantilever with the following Equations (1) and (2) when a prescanning operation is performed before the measurement data is acquired by the probe microscope controller; and adjusting at least one of the offset value OV and the measurement width MW based on a temporal variation of the signal at the same position on the surface of the sample when the prescanning operation is performed.=()&#x2003;&#x2003;Equation (1)=(/2)+&#x2003;&#x2003;Equation (2)

Scanning probe microscope and measurement range adjusting method for scanning probe microscope

A method for measuring vibration characteristic of a cantilever is proposed in this disclosure. The method includes: measuring vibration amplitude V of a cantilever installed in a scanning probe microscope when vibration with a resonant frequency f1 (Hz) is applied to the cantilever; obtaining a time Th (second) when the vibration amplitude V is equal to or more than 0.90 of a stationary amplitude V0; and calculating a Q value by using the following Expression: Q value=f1&#xd7;Th.

Method for measuring vibration characteristic of cantilever

A method of measuring vibration characteristics of a cantilever in a scanning probe microscope (SPM). An excitation signal is generated by a forward and backward frequency sweep signal in a frequency range including a resonance frequency of the cantilever. The cantilever is vibrated by supplying the excitation signal to a vibrating portion of the cantilever. The largest amplitude of a displacement of the cantilever in a forward path and in a backward path is directly measured, and an intermediate value of a frequency between frequencies measured on the basis of the directly measured largest amplitude of the displacement of the cantilever is detected as the resonance frequency of the cantilever.

Method of measuring vibration characteristics of cantilever

Provided is an aligning method capable of setting a sample observation unit such as an optical microscope to a probe microscope observation position at high precision. A sample having a known structure is used in advance. A surface of the sample and a shape of a cantilever provided with a probe are observed using the sample observation unit such as the optical microscope. A sample observation position and a probe position which are obtained using the sample observation unit are verified, and a relative positional relationship therebetween is recorded. Then, a first mark indicating a position of the cantilever and a second mark which is displayed in conjunction with the first mark and has the relative positional relationship with the first mark are produced to align the sample relative to the second mark.

Probe aligning method for probe microscope and probe microscope operated by the same

In detecting a displacement of a cantilever () by a displacement detecting mechanism () and allowing a probe () and a sample () to approach each other by at least one of a coarse-movement mechanism () and a vertical direction fine-movement mechanism () at the same time, an excitation mechanism () excites the cantilever () with a first excitation condition and the probe () and the sample () are allowed to approach each other with a first stop condition, and then the cantilever () is excited with a second excitation condition different from the first excitation condition, a second stop condition is set, and the probe () and the sample () are allowed to approach each other by the at least one of the vertical direction fine-movement mechanism () and the coarse-movement mechanism () until the second stop condition is satisfied.

Approach method for probe and sample in scanning probe microscope

A scanning probe microscope has a cantilever mounted to undergo oscillation movement over a surface of a sample. The cantilever has a probe on a distal end thereof. A Z-axis controlling amount calculating mechanism calculates a controlling amount for keeping constant an oscillation amount of the cantilever. A Z-axis driving mechanism drives in a Z direction the cantilever or the sample in accordance with the controlling amount from the Z-axis controlling amount calculating mechanism. A driving range limiting device limits a driving range of the Z-axis driving mechanism. A driving range setting device optionally sets the driving range of the Z-axis driving mechanism.

The present invention provides a working method using a scanning probe which can enhance a working speed and prolong a lifetime of the probe. The present invention provides the working method using a scanning probe which works a sample by performing the relative scanning of a probe supported on a cantilever on the sample at a predetermined scanning speed. The working method can work the object to be worked while forcibly and relatively vibrating the probe in the direction orthogonal to or parallel to a working surface of the sample at low frequency of 100 to 1000 Hz.

Working method using scanning probe

A scanning probe microscope has a cantilever having a minute probe on a distal end thereof and a displacement detecting device for detecting displacement of the cantilever. A Z-axis controlling amount calculating mechanism calculates a controlling amount for keeping constant a displacement amount of the cantilever. A Z-axis driving mechanism drives in a Z direction the cantilever or a sample in accordance with the controlling amount from the Z-axis controlling amount calculating mechanism. An XY scanning mechanism relatively moves the probe in a direction of an XY plane with respect to the sample to measure an uneven shape and/or a physical characteristic of the surface of the sample. A controlling range limiting device limits a driving range of the Z-axis driving mechanism. A controlling range setting device optionally sets the driving range of the Z-axis driving mechanism.

In the first operation, the cantilever is oscillated at a frequency which is at opposite sides of a frequency band having a half value of an oscillation frequency f and amplitude A on a dependent curve (Q-curve). The cantilever oscillating frequency is far from an oscillation frequency (near a resonance point) where the cantilever is slow to damp, which enables the cantilever to quickly damp in accordance with a variation of a transient oscillation frequency after the probe comes into contact with the specimen, and allows the probe to follow the uneven surface state of the specimen.

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Chiba, Japan

Yoshiteru Shikakura