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
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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.
Claims31
A method for hardening a measuring tip in a scanning probe microscope, the method comprising:
- processing the measuring tip with a beam from an energy beam source, wherein the energy beam source is a constituent part of a scanning electron microscope.
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a. a measuring tip with a tip;
- b. a measuring head of the scanning probe microscope, which is embodied to align the tip of the measuring tip substantially in antiparallel fashion in relation to a direction of an energy beam;
- and
- c. a beam guiding apparatus of a scanning electron microscope, said beam guiding apparatus being embodied to direct the energy beam onto the tip of the measuring tip.
A method for providing a measuring tip for a scanning probe microscope, the method comprising:
- a. providing at least a first measuring tip and at least a second measuring tip, wherein the first measuring tip and the 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;
- and
- b. irreversibly processing the first measuring tip such that, following the irreversible processing, only the second measuring tip interacts with the specimen to be examined.
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a. at least two measuring tips, which are arranged together on a measuring tip carrier in such a way that only the 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
- b. a processing apparatus, which is embodied to modify the first measuring tip by irreversible processing in such a way that only the second measuring tip can interact with the specimen to be examined.
A method for cleaning a measuring probe and/or for sharpening, thinning and/or cleaning a measuring tip within a scanning probe microscope, the method comprising:
- a. producing a plasma outside of the scanning probe microscope;
- and
- b. providing the externally produced plasma at the location of the measuring probe within the scanning probe microscope for the purposes of cleaning the measuring probe and/or at the location of the measuring tip within the scanning probe microscope for the purposes of sharpening, thinning and/or cleaning the measuring tip.
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a. a measuring probe, a measuring tip and/or a measuring tip carrier with at least two measuring tips;
- b. a plasma source, which is embodied to produce a plasma and which is arranged outside of the scanning probe microscope;
- and
- c. a line system, which is embodied to guide the plasma produced by the plasma source into the scanning probe microscope.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.