Jumping probe microscope
US5229606A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 5, 1989 |
| Grant date | Jul 20, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 5, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/851
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A microscope of the scanning probe variety. This device circumvents one of the serious problems of prior art scanning probe microscopes, i.e. that the probe is always near or on the surface of the object being scanned, creating the danger of damaging the probe on the surface especially on large scans or at high scan speeds. The microscope of this invention jumps the probe over the surface, causing the probe to be near or on the surface during only a very limited portion of the scan and therefore able to scan quickly over rough surfaces without undue damage to the probe or surface. Both scanning tunneling microscopes and atomic force microscopes employing the invention are disclosed. The scanning tunneling microscope is shown with both digital and analog control of the movement of the probe.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.