Method for locking probe of scanning probe microscope
US6288391A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 2, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 11, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 2, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/851
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In a method for locking a probe of a scanning probe microscope at any desired position on a specimen surface plane for any desired time period, after taking a first microscopic image of a specimen surface area including the desired position, the probe is moved into the desired position and a second microscopic image is obtained. After moving the probe to the desired position again, a driving voltage applied to a piezoelectric element for driving the probe is kept unchanged during a given time interval T. At the end of the time period, a third microscopic image is taken. The amount of probe drift during the time interval is derived by comparing the relative positions of the second and third images to the first image, and the driving voltage is controlled in accordance with the thus derived amount of the probe drift such that the probe is moved automatically into the desired position. By repeating the steps n times after keeping the driving voltage unchanged, the probe can be locked at the desired position for a long time period nT.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.