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:
Nov. 29, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 12, 2006
Takayuki Uchihashi, Ishikawa, JP;
Toshio Ando, Ishikawa, JP;
Hayato Yamashita, Ishikawa, JP;
National University Corporation Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, JP;
Abstract
Provided is an atomic force microscope capable of increasing the phase detection speed of a cantilever vibration. The cantilever () is excited and the cantilever () and a sample are relatively scanned. Displacement of the cantilever () is detected by a sensor. An oscillator () generates an excitation signal of the cantilever () and generates a reference wave signal having a frequency based on the excitation signal and a fixed phase. According to vibration of the cantilever (), a trigger pulse generation circuit () generates a trigger pulse signal having a pulse position changing in accordance with the vibration of the cantilever (). According to the reference wave signal and the trigger pulse signal, a phase signal generation circuit () generates a signal corresponding to the level of the reference wave signal at the pulse position as a phase signal of vibration of the cantilever (). As the reference wave signal, a saw tooth wave is used. A phase signal generation circuit () is formed by a sample hold circuit.