Scanning probe microscope, scan head and method
AssigneeNederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO
InventorsRoelof Willem Herfst, Hamed Sadeghian Marnani
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a scan head for a scanning probe microscope arranged for moving a probe including a conductive cantilever relatively to a substrate surface, the head comprising: a first electrode positioned such that a capacitor is formed across a gap between the first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is formed by the conductive cantilever; a voltage source for actuating the conductive cantilever by applying a voltage to the capacitor; and at least a first resistor arranged in series between the voltage source and one of the first and second electrodes such as to form an RC circuit for damping a vibration of the cantilever.
Claims20
A scan head for a scanning probe microscope arranged for moving a probe, including a conductive cantilever, relatively to a substrate surface, the scan head comprising:
- a first electrode positioned such that a capacitor is formed across a gap between the first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is formed by the conductive cantilever;
- a voltage source for actuating the conductive cantilever by applying a voltage to the capacitor formed between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- at least a first resistor arranged in series between the voltage source and either one of the first electrode and the second electrode so as to form an RC circuit for damping a vibration of the conductive cantilever.
A method for moving a scanning probe, including a conductive cantilever, relatively to a substrate surface comprising:
- positioning a first electrode such that a capacitor is formed across a gap between the first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is formed by the conductive cantilever;
- actuating the conductive cantilever by applying a voltage to the capacitor between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- providing at least a first resistor arranged in series between the voltage source and either one of the first electrode and the second electrode so as to form an RC circuit for damping a vibration of the conductive cantilever.
A probe chip holder configured to reversibly hold an SPM probe chip with a conductive cantilever for use with a scan head for a scanning probe microscope arranged for moving a probe, including a conductive cantilever, relatively to a substrate surface,
- wherein the scan head comprises:
- a first electrode positioned such that a capacitor is formed across a gap between the first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the second electrode is formed by the conductive cantilever;
- a voltage source for actuating the conductive cantilever by applying a voltage to the capacitor formed between the first electrode and the second electrode;
- and
- at least a first resistor arranged in series between the voltage source and either one of the first electrode and the second electrode so as to form an RC circuit for damping a vibration of the conductive cantilever;
- wherein the probe chip holder comprises the first electrode that is positioned such that the capacitor is formed across the gap between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
- wherein the second electrode is formed by the conductive cantilever.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.