US 11,474,127 B2Granted

Modular scanning probe microscope head

AssigneeRutgers, The State University of New Jersey

InventorsAngela Coe, Guohong Li, Eva Y. Andrei

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Abstract

An apparatus, including: a scanning probe microscope head with a frame configured to fit within an insert of a cryostat, and a scanner, a probe and a sample holder all disposed within the frame; and a coarse motor assembly disposed within the frame and comprising: a positionable component; and coarse motors. The coarse motors are configured to move the positionable component relative to the frame along an X axis, a Y axis, and a Z axis. The apparatus further includes a universal electrical base connection with half of a plug/socket arrangement. The plug/socket arrangement is configured to provide electrical communication between the scanning probe microscope head and a base which has a second half of the plug/socket arrangement when the scanning probe microscope head is lowered onto the base.

Claims32

Dependent claims

An apparatus, comprising:

a scanning probe microscope head comprising a frame configured to fit within an insert of a cryostat, and a probe, a scanner, and a sample holder all disposed within the frame;
a coarse motor assembly disposed within the frame and comprising:
a positionable component;
and
coarse motors, wherein the coarse motors comprise:
a first motor operatively associated with the frame and configured to move the positionable component along a first axis relative to the frame;
and
at least one further motor nested inside the first motor and configured to move the positionable component along a second axis and along a third axis relative to the frame, wherein movement along the first axis effected by the first motor moves the at least one further motor nested therein along the first axis;
and
a universal electrical base connection comprising half of a plug/socket arrangement, wherein the plug/socket arrangement is configured to provide electrical communication between the scanning probe microscope head and a base which comprises a second half of the plug/socket arrangement when the scanning probe microscope head is lowered onto the base.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/313,743Filed 6 May 2021 · us provisional application
Priority: 8 May 2020
Published: US 2021/0349127 A111 Nov 2021
Granted: 18 Oct 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G01Q 30/10
Means for establishing or regulating a desired environmental condition within a sample chamber: thermal environment
G01Q 70/08
General aspects of SPM probes, their manufacture or their related instrumentation, insofar as they are not specially adapted to a single SPM…:…
G01Q 10/02
Scanning or positioning arrangements, i.e. arrangements for actively controlling the movement or position of the probe: coarse scanning or positioning
G01Q 30/20
Auxiliary means serving to assist or improve the scanning probe techniques or apparatus, e.g. display or data processing devices: sample handling…