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US 6,945,100 B2Granted
Scanning probe microscope with improved probe tip mount
AssigneePSIA Corporation
InventorsJoonhyung Kwon, Young Seok Kim, Sang-il Park
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mounting mechanism for the probe tip of a Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) includes a scanner supported by a stationary frame, and a kinematic mechanism supported by the scanner. The kinematic mechanism includes at least three protrusions and at least one magnet. The mounting mechanism for the probe tip also includes a chip mount having a hole, a slot and a flat surface. The chip mount, on being held by the magnet, provides an easy way to mount the probe tip without requiring any tools.
Claims18
A scanning probe microscope comprising;
- a stationary frame;
- a scanner supported by the stationary frame;
- and
- a kinematic mounting mechanism supported by the scanner, the kinematic mounting mechanism comprising three protrusions and at least one magnet, each of the three protrusions and said at least one magnet being located at a first side;
- and
- a chip mount having a hole, a slot and a flat surface, each of the hole, the slot and the flat surface being located at a second side;
- wherein when second side is sufficiently close to the first side, the chip mount is held by said at least one magnet of the kinematic mounting mechanism, and each of the hole, the slot and the flat surface contact one of the three protrusions in the kinematic mounting mechanism.
4 more elements
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a stationary frame;
- a scanner supported by the stationary frame;
- and
- a kinematic mounting mechanism supported by the scanner, the kinematic mounting mechanism comprising three protrusions and at least one magnet;
- and
- a chip mount having a hole, a slot and a flat surface;
- wherein the chip mount is held by said at least one magnet;
- and
- the scanner is mounted on a one dimensional translation stage, the one dimensional translation stage being attached to the stationary frame, the scanner being limited to linear motion in a direction of motion of the one dimensional translation stage;
- and
- the scanning probe microscope further comprises a two dimensional flexure stage attached to the stationary frame and a sample chuck mounted on the two dimensional flexure stage, the sample chuck being movable by the two dimensional flexure stage only in a plane perpendicular to the direction of motion of the one dimensional translation stage.
8 more elements
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a stationary frame;
- a scanner supported by the stationary frame;
- a kinematic mounting mechanism supported by the scanner, the kinematic mounting mechanism comprising three protrusions and at least one magnet;
- a chip mount having a hole, a slot and a flat surface, wherein the chip mount is held by said at least one magnet;
- and
- a signal line supported by the kinematic mounting mechanism;
- wherein at least one of the three protrusions comprises a conductive material and is in electrical contact with said signal line.
4 more elements
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a stationary frame;
- a z scanner mounted on a one dimensional translation stage, the one dimensional translation stage being attached to the stationary frame, the scanner being limited to linear motion in a direction of motion of the one dimensional translation stage, a kinematic mounting mechanism supported by the z scanner, the kinematic mounting mechanism comprising three balls and a pair of magnets, and a chip mount having a hole, a slot and a flat surface, wherein the chip mount is attached to the kinematic mounting mechanism by the pair of magnets;
- and
- a two dimensional flexure stage attached to the stationary frame and a sample chuck mounted on the two dimensional flexure stage, the sample chuck being movable by the two dimensional flexure stage only in a plane perpendicular to the direction of motion of the one dimensional translation stage.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.