US 5,467,642 AGranted

Scanning probe microscope and method of control error correction

AssigneesHitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.

InventorsSumio Hosaka, Atsushi Kikugawa, Yukio Honda, Hajime Koyanagi, Kiyosi Nagasawa

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Abstract

A scanning probe microscope in which the deflection of a cantilever caused by the proximity between a stylus and a sample is detected, the relative distance between the sample and a probe at which the level of the deflection detection signal coincides with a reference level is subjected to servo control thereby to control the force exerted on the stylus to a constant level, and the relative positions of the sample and the probe are scanned to produce a three-dimensional image of the surface of the sample. In order to eliminate the error of servo control attributable to the deformation of the cantilever, the deflection detection signal is held with the cantilever set in free standing state, and the signal thus held is used to correct the level of the cantilever deflection detection signal. The servo control is effected by the detection signal thus corrected.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A scanning probe microscope comprising:

a probe including a cantilever with a stylus at an end thereof and a probe base at another end thereof;
a scanning means driving at least one of said probe base and a sample arranged in proximity to said stylus to move relative positions of said stylus and a surface of said sample;
a driving means driving at least one of said probe base and said sample in order to adjust a distance between said stylus and the surface of said sample;
a control means controlling said driving means in accordance with a predetermined schedule;
an optical detector detecting a deflection of said cantilever;
a correction means, which comprises a sample and hold means correcting an output of said optical detector in accordance with an output of said sample and hold means;
and
a servo control means supplied with a corrected detection output of said optical detector from said correction means and controlling relative distances between said stylus and the surface of said sample thereby to control a force exerted between the surface of said sample and said stylus,
wherein said control means schedules in such a manner so as initially to contact said stylus and the surface of said sample, then for a predetermined period, to leave at least a distance between said stylus and the surface of said sample by which said stylus is substantially not affected by any force from the surface of said sample, and said sample and hold means samples and holds an output of said optical detector when said stylus is substantially not affected by any force from the surface of said sample, and then to contact said stylus and the surface of said sample again.

6 more elements

A scanning probe microscope comprising:

a probe including a cantilever with a stylus at an end thereof and a probe base at another end thereof;
a scanning means driving at least one of said probe base and a sample arranged in proximity to said stylus and thereby moving relative positions of said stylus and a surface of said sample;
a driving means driving at least one of said probe base and said sample in order to adjust a distance between said stylus and the surface of said sample;
a control means controlling said driving means in accordance with a predetermined schedule;
an optical detector detecting a deflection of said cantilever;
a sample and hold means sampling and holding an output of said optical detector;
and
a servo control means which comprise a reference value for servo control and which is supplied with an output of said optical detector and controlling a relative distance between said stylus and the surface of said sample in such a manner that said reference value for servo control is corrected by an output of said sample and hold means so as to control a force exerted between the surface of said sample and said stylus, and
wherein said control means schedules in such a manner so as initially to contact said stylus and the surface of said sample then for a predetermined period, to leave at least a distance between said stylus and the surface of said sample by which said stylus is substantially not affected by any force from the surface of said sample, and said sample and hold means samples and holds an output of said optical detector when said stylus is substantially not affected by any force from the surface of said sample, and then to contact said stylus and the surface of said sample again.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.