Cryogenic atomic force microscope
AssigneeUniversity of Virginia Patent Foundation
InventorsJie Yang, Andrew P. Somlyo, Zhiferg Siao, Jianxun Mou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An atomic force microscope system is enclosed in a crogenic liquid dewar and operated at about ambient pressure or slightly above ambient pressure. Vaporization of the cryogenic liquid is used for cooling of the atomic force microscope system. Nitrogen, as well as other cryogenic liquids can be used, as for example helium, fluorinated hydrocarbons, isopentane, and liquid propane. Bubbling of the liquid nitrogen, which can produce excessive vibration and prevent atomic resolution for very low temperature experiments, is overcome through the pressurizing of the dewar to several psi.
Claims22
A low temperature atomic force microscope comprising, a thermally insulated low temperature chamber, a cryogenic gas within said chamber, said atomic force microscope having a head, said head being within said chamber and in thermal contact with said cryogenic gas, said chamber being at least about ambient pressure.
The method of generating topographs of the surface of a sample, using an atomic force microscope, comprising cooling the region of the head of the atomic force microscope by vaporization of a cryogenic liquid at a pressure about ambient pressure.
A low temperature atomic force microscope comprising, a thermally insulated low temperature chamber, the vapor of a cryogenic liquid within said chamber, said atomic force microscope having a scanning assembly, said scanning assembly being within said chamber and in thermal contact with said cryogenic vapors, said chamber being at, at least about ambient pressure, said scanning assembly being suspended by a plurality of springs, whereby during imaging the scanning assembly of the system is mechanically isolated from vibrations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.