Patent · US Expired

Disentangling sample topography and physical properties in scanning near-field microwave microscopy

US6376836B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
1References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 29, 1999
Grant dateApr 23, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 29, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01Q40/00
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method of disentangling sample properties in a scanned sample requires a calibration sample in which two sample properties are variable. The calibration sample is scanned, and two measured variables are recorded during the scan. The two sample properties are measured quantitatively by an independent means. Using the data from the calibration sample, conversion functions are mathematically determined, in order to convert the two measured variables into the two sample properties. A sample, for which the two properties are unknown, is scanned, and the two measured variables are recorded. Using the conversion functions, the data from the scan is converted into the two sample properties of interest for the unknown sample. This method can be used with the first sample property being topography, so that effects due to the topography of the sample are eliminated from the computation of the second property of the unknown sample. This method can also be used with the probe in contact with the sample, so that topography is not one of the two sample properties.

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