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US 6,888,135 B2Granted
Scanning probe microscope with probe formed by single conductive material
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorsYuichi Naitou, Norio Ookubo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a scanning probe microscope a probe associated with its sharp end includes a single conductive material.
Claims61
A scanning probe microscope for a sample, comprising:
- a probe having a body and a sharp end, said body and said sharp end including a single conductive material;
- a single piezoelectric element, electrically isolated from said body and in the proximity thereof, that is structured and arranged so as to vibrate said sharp end along a direction approximately in parallel with a surface of said sample;
- and
- a detector, coupled to said single piezoelectric element, said detector being structured and arranged so as to detect a vibration state of said probe in response to a difference in phase between a vibration frequency of said single piezoelectric element and a frequency of said probe.
1 more element
A scanning probe microscope for a sample, comprising:
- a probe having a conductive sharp end;
- a moving unit for moving said sample along a Z-direction and moving said sample in X- and Y-directions;
- a single vibrating unit electrically isolated from said probe and in the proximity thereof, structured and arranged so as to vibrate said probe along a direction approximately in parallel with a surface of said sample;
- a vibration detecting unit structured and arranged so as to detect a vibration state of said probe in response to a difference in phase between a vibration frequency of said single vibrating unit and a frequency of said probe;
- a signal detecting unit for detecting an electrical characteristic signal between said probe and said sample;
- a control unit for controlling an interaction between said probe and said sample so that the interaction is brought close to a predetermined definite level;
- and
- a voltage applying unit for applying an AC voltage to said sample.
5 more elements
A method for controlling a scanning probe microscope for a sample, comprising:
- a probe having a conductive sharp end;
- a moving unit for moving said sample along a Z-direction and moving said sample in X- and Y-directions;
- a single vibrating unit structured and arranged so as to vibrate said probe along a direction approximately in parallel with a surface of said sample;
- a vibration detecting unit structured and arranged so as to detect a vibration state of said probe in response to a difference in phase between a vibration frequency of said single vibrating unit and a frequency of said probe;
- a signal detecting unit for detecting an electrical characteristic signal between said probe and said sample;
- a control unit for controlling an interaction between said probe and said sample so that the interaction is brought close to a predetermined definite level;
- and a voltage applying unit for applying an AC voltage to said sample,
- said method comprising:
- electrically isolating the probe from the single vibrating unit;
- and
- adjusting a distance between the sharp end of said probe and said sample so that the detected vibration state of said probe is brought close to a predetermined definite level.
8 more elements
A method for controlling a scanning probe microscope for a sample, comprising:
- a probe having a conductive sharp end;
- a moving unit for moving said sample along a Z-direction and moving said sample in X- and Y-directions;
- a single vibrating unit structured and arranged to vibrate said probe along a direction approximately in parallel with a surface of said sample;
- a vibration detecting unit structured and arranged to detect a vibration state of said probe in response to a difference in phase between a vibration frequency of said single vibrating unit and a frequency of said probe;
- a signal detecting unit for detecting an electrical characteristic signal between said probe and said sample;
- a control unit for controlling an interaction between said probe and said sample so that the interaction is brought close to a predetermined definite level;
- and a voltage applying unit for applying an AC voltage to said sample,
- said method comprising:
- electrically isolating the probe from the single vibrating unit;
- and
- adjusting a distance between the sharp end of said probe and said sample so that the detected electrical characteristic signal is brought close to a predetermined definite level.
8 more elements
A scanning probe microscope for a sample, comprising:
- a moving unit for moving said sample in X-, Y- and Z-directions;
- a conductive probe approximately perpendicular to a surface of said sample and having a sharp end capable of being in proximity to the surface of said sample;
- an oscillator;
- a single vibrating unit, connected to said oscillator and electrically isolated from said conductive probe, said single vibrating unit being structured and arranged to vibrate said conductive probe in the X-direction in accordance with a frequency of said oscillator;
- a vibration detecting unit structured and arranged to detect a vibration amplitude of said conductive probe to generate a vibration voltage in response to a difference in phase between a vibration frequency of said single vibrating unit and a frequency of said probe;
- a feedback control unit, connected between said vibration detecting unit and said moving unit, for controlling a location of said sample in the Z-direction in accordance with the detected vibration amplitude of said vibration detecting unit, so that the vibration amplitude of said vibrating detecting unit is brought close to a predetermined definite value;
- an AC voltage modulation circuit, connected to said sample, for supplying an AC modulation voltage to said sample;
- and
- a sensor, connected to said conductive probe, for detecting an electrical characteristic signal showing a state of said sample immediately below the sharp end of said conductive probe.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.