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:
Aug. 01, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 06, 1997
Katsuhiro Matsuyama, Hachioji, JP;
Nobuaki Sakai, Hachioji, JP;
Seizo Morita, Osaka, JP;
Yasuhiro Sugawara, Mino, JP;
Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A conductive cantilever having a conductive probe on its free end is supported by a piezoelectric element, which oscillates upon reception of an AC voltage from a first AC voltage supply unit. An AC voltage is applied between a conductive sample and the probe by a variable DC voltage supply unit and a second AC voltage supply unit. An AM demodulator demodulates a signal from a displacement meter at an angular frequency of the first AC voltage supply unit. A lowpass filter extracts a DC component from an output signal from the AM demodulator, and a synchronism detector extracts a component concerning to the angular frequency twice as high as that of the second AC voltage supply unit from the AM demodulator output signal. A Z controller controls a position of a tube scanner based on an output signal from the subtracter which subtracts an output signal of the synchronism detector from an output signal of the lowpass filter. A data processing unit maps configuration data from the Z controller and surface potential data from a voltage control circuit, referring to XY data from an XY scanning circuit, such that a configuration image and a potential distribution image of the sample are obtained.