Patent · US Expired

Scanning probe microscope and processing apparatus

US5965881A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
9References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 13, 1997
Grant dateOct 12, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 13, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S977/852
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

This scanning probe microscope can accurately obtain information on surfaces of a sample when measuring the sample in a broad range from a slow scanning speed to a fast scanning speed. The scanning probe microscope comprises a cantilever (16) with a probe (15) at its tip, an optical lever mechanism (17,18) for measuring displacement of the cantilever (16), a mechanism for approaching/separating the cantilever against the sample, XY scanning circuit (21), and further comprises a Z axis piezoelectric element (14b) of a tripod for changing the distance between the cantilever and the sample, a control circuit (20) for controlling the distance between the cantilever and the sample to cause a displacement signal s1 obtained from the optical lever mechanism to be identical to a set value s0, and an adder (24) for adding a control signal from the control circuit and a signal based on the deviation between the displacement signal and the set value. The information on the sample surface is obtained from a signal outputted from the adder.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.