Positioning device for a scanning tunneling microscope

A piezoelectric positioning device for controlling the three dimensional horizontal and vertical movement of a tip relative to a sample in a scanning tunneling microscope, including

• a thin walled cylindrical shaped member formed of piezoelectric material having an outer surface and an inner surface,
• a tip member positioned on the cylindrical shaped member at a particular position around the circumference of the member,
• a plurality of substantially similar rectangular shaped members positioned around one of the surfaces of the cylindrical shaped member to form opposite pairs of electrodes to control the horizontal movement of the tip in two of the three dimensions in accordance with voltages applied to the pairs of electrodes and with one rectangular electrode of the opposite pairs at the particular position of the tip member split into at least two electrode portions and with opposite polarity voltages applied to the at least two electrode portions to minimize horizontal-vertical cross coupling during horizontal movement and
• a unitary member positioned around the other of the surfaces of the cylindrical shaped member to form a unitary electrode to control the vertical movement of the tip in the third dimension in accordance with voltage applied to the unitary electrode.

A piezoelectric positioning device for controlling the three dimensional horizontal and vertical movement of a tip relative to a sample in a scanning tunneling microscope, including

• a thin walled cylindrical shaped member formed of piezoelectric material having an outer surface and an inner surface,
• a tip member positioned on the cylindrical shaped member at a particular position around the circumference of the member,
• a plurality of substantially similar rectangular shaped members positioned around one of the surfaces of the cylindrical shaped member to form opposite pairs of electrodes to control the horizontal movement of the tip in two of the three dimensions in accordance with voltages applied to the pairs of electrodes,
• a unitary member positioned around the other of the surfaces of the cylindrical shaped member to form a unitary electrode to control the vertical movement of the tip in the third dimension in accordance with voltage applied to the unitary electrode, and
• the cylindrical shaped member mounted in a support member including at least one area of ferromagnetic material and wherein the sample is positioned on a structure and wherein the structure includes a plurality of upwardly extending members located adjacent the sample to receive the support member to position the tip above the sample and with at least one of the upwardly extending members including magnetic material to attract and hold the ferromagnetic material and thereby the support member and tip in position for scanning.

A portable piezoelectrical positioning device for controlling the three dimensional horizontal and vertical movement of a tip relative to a sample in a scanning tunneling microscope, including

• a three dimensional piezoelectric scanner for producing horizontal and vertical motion in accordance with applied voltages,
• a tip member mounted on the piezoelectric scanner and with three dimensional motion of the tip member controlled by the scanner,
• a support member receiving and supporting the piezoelectric scanner for positioning relative to a sample,
• the support member including a plurality of outwardly extending members located adjacent to the tip for providing a plurality of legs to position the support member and thereby the tip and scanner down on or over the sample to provide portability of the piezoelectric positioning device, and
• wherein the support member is held down on or over the sample by magnetic attraction.

A portable piezoelectric positioning device for controlling the three dimensional horizontal and vertical movement of a tip relative to a sample in a scanning tunneling microscope, including

• a three dimensional piezoelectric scanner for producing horizontal and vertical motion in accordance with applied voltages,
• a tip member mounted on the piezoelectric scanner and with three dimensional motion of the tip member controlled by the scanner,
• a support member receiving and supporting the piezoelectric scanner for positioning relative to a sample,
• the support member including a plurality of outwardly extending members located adjacent to the tip for providing a plurality of legs to position the support member and thereby the tip and scanner down on or over the sample to provide portability of the piezoelectric positioning device, and
• the scanner having a piezoelectric cone shaped base member with the tip mounted at the apex and with horizontal motion produced by complementary voltages applied to pairs of opposite electrodes on one surface of the cone shaped base member and with vertical motion produced by a voltage applied to a unitary electrode on the other surface of the cone shaped base member.

A portable piezoelectrical positioning device for controlling the three dimensional horizontal and vertical movement of a tip relative to a sample in a scanning tunneling microscope, including

• a three dimensional piezoelectric scanner for producing horizontal and vertical motion in accordance with applied voltages,
• a tip member mounted on the piezoelectric scanner and with three dimensional motion of the tip member controlled by the scanner,
• a support member receiving and supporting the piezoelectric scanner for positioning relative to a sample,
• the support member including a plurality of outwardly extending members located adjacent to the tip for providing a plurality of legs to position the support member and thereby the tip and scanner down or over the sample to provide portability of the piezoelectric positioning device, and
• the scanner having a piezoelectric cylindrical shaped base member with the tip mounted on the circumferential surface of the cylinder and with horizontal motion produced by complementary voltages applied to pairs of opposite electrodes on one surface of the cylindrical shaped base member and with one electrode of one of the pairs split into electrode portions and with complementary voltages applied to the electrode portions and with vertical motion produced by a voltage applied to a unitary electrode on the other surface of the cylindrical shaped base member.