Scanning probe microscopy inspection and modification system
AssigneeGeneral Nanotechnology LLC
InventorVictor B. Kley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A scanning probe microscopy (SPM) inspection and/or modification system which uses SPM technology and techniques. The system includes various types of microstructured SPM probes for inspection and/or modification of the object. The components of the SPM system include microstructured calibration structures. A probe may be defective because of wear or because of fabrication errors. Various types of reference measurements of the calibration structure are made with the probe or vice versa to calibrate it. The components of the SPM system further include one or more tip machining structures. At these structures, material of the tips of the SPM probes may be machined by abrasively lapping and chemically lapping the material of the tip with the tip machining structures.
Claims26
A scanning probe microscopy system for working with an object having a work surface, comprising:
- a movable scanning head having a seat therein;
- a probe mounted in the seat, the probe comprising:
- a probe base having a probe surface oriented toward the work surface of the object, the probe surface having a first aperture therein;
- and
- a probe tool mounted in the first aperture and configured to interact with the object;
- and
- means for restricting gas flow into a region between the probe surface and the work surface of the object so that when the first aperture is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source, a microvacuum chamber is formed in a gap region surrounding the first aperture and extending between the probe surface and the work surface of the object.
A particle beam tool for measuring and modifying an object, comprising:
- a probe base having a probe surface oriented toward a work surface of the object, the probe surface having a first aperture therein;
- a particle beam emitter suspended in the first aperture;
- an accelerating electrode located within the first aperture and below the particle beam emitter, the accelerating electrode having an aperture allowing a particle beam from the particle beam emitter to pass;
- a plurality of steering electrodes located within the aperture and below the accelerating electrode, the steering electrodes operable to control a direction of the particle beam and arranged to provide an aperture allowing the particle beam to pass;
- a collecting electrode within the aperture and below the steering electrode, the collecting electrode having an aperture allowing the particle beam to pass;
- a control circuit configured to operate the particle beam emitter to emit a particle beam, to operate the plurality of steering electrodes to direct the particle beam, and to operate the collecting electrode to collect particles reflected from the object;
- and
- means for restricting gas flow into a region between the probe surface and the work surface of the object so that when the first aperture is placed in fluid communication with a vacuum source, a microvacuum chamber is formed in a gap region centered on the first aperture and extending between the probe surface and the work surface of the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.