The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 15, 1992
Filed:
Aug. 22, 1991
Daniel R Marshall, Tucson, AZ (US);
Wyko Corporation, Tucson, AZ (US);
Abstract
A scanning probe microscope includes a probe support carrying a scanning probe, a piezoelectric transducer having a free end connected to a stage on which the sample is supported, probe sensing circuitry connected to sense a signal indicating interaction between the tip of the probe and a point of the sample surface and producing in response thereto a Z control voltage so as to optimize the interaction and produce a Z coordinate representing the height of a presently scanned point of the sample surface. Optical sensing circuitry includes a light source connected in fixed relation to the sample stage, a position sensitive photodetector, and optics focusing lens for focusing a portion of the light onto a position sensitive detector to cause it to produce X and Y position signals. The light source includes a retroreflector attached to the piezoelectric transducer receiving a beam from a stationary laser and focused by a stationary lens onto the position sensitive detector. Feedback servo circuits are responsive to the X and Y position signals to apply X and Y control voltages to the piezoelectric transducer.