Methods and devices for extending a time period until changing a measuring tip of a scanning probe microscope
AssigneeCarl Zeiss SMT GmbH
InventorsGabriel Baralia, Rainer Becker, Kinga Kornilov, Christof Baur, Hans Hermann Pieper
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and devices for extending a time period until changing a measuring tip of a scanning probe microscope. In particular, the invention relates to a method for hardening a measuring tip for a scanning probe microscope, comprising the step of: Processing the measuring tip with a beam of an energy beam source, the energy beam source being part of a scanning electron microscope.
Claims35
A method for providing a measuring tip for a scanning probe microscope, the method comprising:
- a. providing at least one first and at least one second measuring tip, wherein the first and the at least one second measuring tip are arranged on a common measuring tip carrier in such a way that only the first measuring tip interacts with a specimen to be examined, and wherein the common measuring tip carrier is attached to a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope;
- b. examining, using the first measuring tip, one or more specimens one or more times;
- and
- c. after the first measuring tip has been used to examine the one or more specimens one or more times, processing the first measuring tip such that, following the processing, only the at least one second measuring tip interacts with the specimen to be examined.
A scanning probe microscope, comprising:
- a measuring tip carrier comprising at least two measuring tips that are arranged together on the measuring tip carrier in such a way that only a first measuring tip can interact with a specimen to be examined in the scanning probe microscope, wherein the measuring tip carrier is attached to a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope;
- and
- a processing apparatus that is configured to irreversibly process the first measuring tip such that, following the processing, only the at least one second measuring tip interacts with the specimen to be examined.
A method for providing a measuring tip carrier for a scanning probe microscope, the method comprising:
- providing a measuring tip carrier comprising at least three measuring tips, the at least three measuring tips comprising a first measuring tip, a second measuring tip, and a third measuring tip, wherein the first, the second, and the third measuring tips are arranged on the measuring tip carrier in such a way that only the first measuring tip interacts with a specimen to be examined, and the measuring tip carrier is attached to a cantilever of the scanning probe microscope;
- examining, using the first measuring tip, the specimen;
- and
- processing the measuring tip carrier such that, following the processing, only second measuring tip interacts with the specimen to be examined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.