Scanning electrochemical microscopy with oscillating probe tip
AssigneeUniversity of Warwick
InventorsPatrick Unwin, Kim Martin McKelvey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A new scanning electrochemical microscopy tip positioning method that allows topography and surface activity to be resolved independently is presented. A SECM tip is oscillated relative to the surface of interest. Changes in the oscillation amplitude, caused by the intermittent contact of the SECM tip with the surface of interest, are used to detect the surface of interest, and as a feedback signal for various types of imaging.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- oscillating, using a piezoelectric positioner fitted with a strain gauge sensor, a scanning microscopy ultramicroelectrode probe tip in height relative to a surface of interest;
- detecting damping of an amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip by detecting by the strain gauge sensor a decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip as compared to an amplitude of oscillation of the probe tip in a bulk solution, the decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip indicating intermittent contact with the surface of interest;
- using the detected decrease in the amplitude to detect the surface of interest;
- and
- using the probe tip to measure or modify activity of the surface of interest simultaneously with detecting damping.
A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon machine readable code that when executed by a processor of a scanning microscopy apparatus cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
- oscillating an ultramicroelectrode probe tip in height relative to a surface of interest using a piezoelectric positioner fitted with a strain gauge sensor;
- detecting damping of an amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip by detecting by the strain gauge sensor a decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip as compared to an amplitude of oscillation of the probe tip in a bulk solution, the decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip indicating intermittent contact with the surface of interest;
- using the detected damping to detect the surface of interest;
- and
- using the probe tip to measure or modify activity of the surface of interest simultaneously with detecting damping.
Apparatus configured:
- to oscillate a scanning microscopy ultramicroelectrode probe tip in height relative to a surface of interest using a piezoelectric positioner fitted with a strain gauge sensor;
- to detect damping of an amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip by detecting by the strain gauge sensor a decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip as compared to an amplitude of oscillation of the probe tip in a bulk solution, the decrease in the amplitude of the oscillation of the probe tip indicating intermittent contact with the surface of interest;
- to use the detected damping to detect the surface of interest;
- and
- to use the probe tip to measure or modify activity of the surface of interest simultaneously with detecting damping.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.