Method for determining the distance of a near-field probe from a specimen surface to be examined, and near-field microscope

US6703614B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Thomas Stifter · Trier, DE
• Othmar Marti · Ulm, DE
• Robert Brunner · Montréal, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 17, 1999
• Grant date: Mar 9, 2004
• Expiry date: Nov 17, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S977/862
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A method for determining the distance of a scanning probe of a scanning probe microscope from a specimen surface to be examined comprising the steps of: exciting the scanning probe to oscillations lateral to a surface to be examined; recording at least one amplitude signal and a frequency signal and a phase signal of the oscillating scanning probe; superimposing a vertically oscillating movement of the scanning probe and specimen surface to be examined relative to one another is superimposed on the oscillation of the scanning probe lateral to the specimen surface to be examined; and determining the distance of the scanning probe from the specimen surface from at least one of the amplitude signal and a frequency signal and a phase signal.