Method and apparatus for examining a measuring tip of a scanning probe microscope
AssigneeCarl Zeiss SMT GmbH
InventorsKinga Kornilov, Christof Baur, Markus Bauer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for examining a measuring tip of a scanning probe microscope, wherein the method includes the following steps: (a) generating at least one test structure before a sample is analyzed, or after said sample has been analyzed, by the measuring tip; and (b) examining the measuring tip with the aid of the at least one generated test structure.
Claims21
A method for examining a measuring tip of a scanning probe microscope, wherein the method includes the following steps:
- a. analyzing a first region of a sample by using the measuring tip;
- b. generating at least one test structure before the first region of the sample is analyzed, or after said first region of the sample has been analyzed, by the measuring tip, wherein generating the at least one test structure is carried out on a second region of the sample, and wherein generating the at least one test structure comprises a particle beam-induced deposition of the at least one test structure and/or a particle beam-induced etching of the at least one test structure;
- and
- c. examining the measuring tip with the aid of the at least one test structure deposited and/or etched on the sample with the aid of the particle beam.
An apparatus for examining a measuring tip of a scanning probe microscope, comprising:
- a. a generation unit that is embodied for particle beam-induced deposition and/or etching of a test structure on or in a second region of a sample before a first region of the sample is analyzed, or after the first region of said sample has been analyzed, by the measuring tip;
- and
- b. an examination unit that is embodied to examine the measuring tip with the aid of the at least one test structure deposited and/or etched on the sample with the aid of a particle beam.
A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer system of an apparatus, prompt a control device of the apparatus to carry out the method steps comprising:
- analyzing a first region of a sample by using a measuring tip of a scanning probe microscope;
- generating at least one test structure before the first region of the sample is analyzed, or after said first region of the sample has been analyzed, by the measuring tip, wherein generating the at least one test structure is carried out on a second region of the sample, and wherein generating the at least one test structure comprises a particle beam-induced deposition of the at least one test structure and/or a particle beam-induced etching of the at least one test structure;
- and
- examining the measuring tip with the aid of the at least one test structure deposited and/or etched on the sample with the aid of the particle beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.