Back to results
US 7,030,369 B2Granted
Scanning probe microscope assembly
AssigneeGeneral Nanotechnology LLC
InventorVictor B. Kley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A scanning probe microscope assembly that has an atomic force measurement (AFM) mode, a scanning tunneling measurement (STM) mode, a near-field spectrophotometry mode, a near-field optical mode, and a hardness testing mode for examining an object.
Claims39
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object, comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end;
- means for inducing and detecting non-optical interaction of said tip and said object, said non-optical interaction being other than a tunneling current between said tip and said object;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip for providing light to said tip;
- said tip being shaped to emit light resulting from said provided light at said sharp end so that said emitted light optically interacts with said object, wherein said tip is shaped to capture light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object;
- and
- a photodetector that is optically coupled to said tip for detecting said captured light.
3 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object, comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end and a base;
- means for inducing and detecting non-optical interaction of said tip and said object, said non-optical interaction being other than a tunneling current between said tip and said object;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip for providing light to said tip;
- a fresnel lens that is formed in said probe over said tip for focusing said provided light in said base of said tip;
- said tip being shaped to emit light resulting from said provided light at said sharp end so that said emitted light optically interacts with said object;
- and
- a photodetector for detecting light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object.
4 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object, comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end wherein said tip includes a core material transparent to said provided light and an obdurate layer transparent to said provided light over said core material at least at said sharp end;
- means for inducing and detecting non-optical interaction of said tip and said object, said non-optical interaction being other than a tunneling current between said tip and said object;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip for providing light to said tip;
- said tip being shaped to emit light resulting from said provided light at said sharp end so that said emitted light optically interacts with said object;
- and
- a photodetector that is optically coupled to said tip for detecting light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object.
3 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object, comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end;
- means for inducing and detecting non-optical interaction of said tip and said object;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip for providing light to said tip wherein said tip includes a core material transparent to said provided light and a light-emissive coating over said core material at said sharp end, which light-emissive coating emits light in response to said provided light;
- said tip being shaped at said sharp end so that emitted light from said light-emissive coating optically interacts with said object;
- and
- a photodetector for detecting light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object.
3 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object, comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end;
- means for inducing and detecting non-optical interaction of said tip and said object;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip for providing light to said tip wherein said tip includes a core material transparent to said provided light and a frequency-doubling coating over said core material at said sharp end, which frequency-doubling coating emits light, referred to as emitted light, in response to said provided light;
- said tip being shaped at said sharp end so that emitted light from said frequency-doubling coating optically interacts with said object;
- and
- a photodetector for detecting light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object.
3 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object, comprising:
- a probe having a tip, said tip including:
- a core material with a sharp end;
- a light emissive layer over at least a portion of said core material;
- and
- a conductive layer over said light emissive layer but not over said core material at said sharp end;
- means for applying a voltage between said conductive layer and said core material so that said light emissive layer emits light within said probe that propagates through said probe and is emitted at said sharp end, said emitted light optically interacting with said object;
- and
- a photodetector for detecting light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object.
5 more elements
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope for examining an object, said scanning probe microscope having a probe that includes a base, a cantilever connected to said base, and a tip connected to said cantilever, said scanning probe microscope assembly having a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode, the method comprising:
- inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tip and said object during said tunneling current mode;
- inducing atomic force interaction between said tip and said object and detecting deflection of said cantilever due to said atomic force interaction during said atomic force mode;
- and
- immobilizing said tip with respect to said base so as to prevent said tip from moving toward or away from said object during said tunneling current mode, wherein:
- said cantilever has a lower surface to which said tip is connected and an upper surface;
- and
- said immobilizing said tip with respect to said base is accomplished by;
- a member disposed over said upper surface of said cantilever;
- a first coil on said upper surface of said cantilever;
- a second coil on said lower surface of said member;
- and
- producing currents in said coils to magnetically immobilize said tip with respect to said base during said tunneling current mode.
9 more elements
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope for examining an object wherein
- said scanning probe microscope has a probe that includes a base, a cantilever connected to said base, and a tip connected to said cantilever,
- said cantilever has a free end adjacent to said tip, and
- said scanning probe microscope assembly has a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode,
- the method comprising:
- inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tip and said object during said tunneling current mode;
- inducing atomic force interaction between said tip and said object and detecting deflection of said cantilever due to said atomic force interaction during said atomic force mode;
- providing a clamping structure having a clamping arm connected to said base, said clamping arm extending from said base and having a free end extending past and opposing said free end of said cantilever;
- and
- controlling movement of said free end of said clamping arm against said free end of said cantilever during said tunneling mode to immobilize said tip with respect to said base.
6 more elements
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope for examining an object wherein
- said scanning probe microscope has a probe that includes a base, a cantilever connected to said base, and a tip connected to said cantilever,
- said cantilever has a free end adjacent to said tip, and
- said scanning probe microscope assembly has a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode,
- the method comprising:
- inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tip and said object during said tunneling current mode;
- inducing atomic force interaction between said tip and said object and detecting deflection of said cantilever due to said atomic force interaction during said atomic force mode;
- providing a clamping structure that surrounds said cantilever and includes clamping arms;
- and
- controlling movement of said clamping arms against said cantilever during said tunneling mode to immobilize said tip with respect to said base.
6 more elements
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope for examining an object, said scanning probe microscope having a probe that includes a base, a cantilever connected to said base, and a tip connected to said cantilever, said scanning probe microscope assembly having a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode, the method comprising:
- inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tip and said object during said tunneling current mode;
- inducing atomic force interaction between said tip and said object and detecting deflection of said cantilever due to said atomic force interaction during said atomic force mode;
- and
- immobilizing said tip with respect to said base so as to prevent said tip from moving toward or away from said object during said tunneling current mode, wherein:
- said cantilever has a lower surface to which said tip is connected and an upper surface;
- and
- said immobilizing said tip with respect to said base is accomplished by:
- providing a member disposed over said upper surface of said cantilever;
- providing a permanent magnet on said upper surface of said cantilever;
- providing a coil on said lower surface of said member;
- and
- producing a current in said coil to magnetically immobilize said tip with respect to said base during said tunneling current mode.
9 more elements
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope for examining an object, said scanning probe microscope having a probe that includes a base, a cantilever connected to said base, and a tip connected to said cantilever, said scanning probe microscope assembly having a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode, the method comprising:
- inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tip and said object during said tunneling current mode;
- inducing atomic force interaction between said tip and said object and detecting deflection of said cantilever due to said atomic force interaction during said atomic force mode;
- and
- immobilizing said tip with respect to said base so as to prevent said tip from moving toward or away from said object during said tunneling current mode, wherein:
- said cantilever has a lower surface to which said tip is connected and an upper surface;
- and
- said immobilizing said tip with respect to said base is accomplished by:
- providing an element coupled to said base having a lower surface disposed over said upper surface of said cantilever;
- providing a permanent magnet on said lower surface of said element;
- providing a coil on said upper surface of said cantilever;
- and
- producing a current in said coil to magnetically hold said cantilever rigid with respect to said base during said tunneling current mode.
9 more elements
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope for examining an object, said scanning probe microscope having a probe that includes a base, a cantilever connected to said base, and a tip connected to said cantilever, said scanning probe microscope assembly having a tunneling current mode, an atomic force mode, and a spectrophotometry mode, the method comprising:
- inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tie and said object during said tunneling current mode;
- inducing atomic force interaction between said tip and said object and detecting deflection of said cantilever due to said atomic force interaction during said atomic force mode;
- immobilizing said tip with respect to said base so as to prevent said tip from moving toward or away from said object during said tunneling current mode;
- providing a spectrophotometer including a light source optically coupled to said tip;
- controlling said light source to provide light to said tip during said spectrophotometry mode;
- said tip being shaped to emit said provided light at said sharp end so that said emitted light optically interacts with said object;
- and
- detecting light that results from said emitted light optically interacting with said object to make spectrophotometric measurements of said detected light.
5 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object wherein said scanning probe microscope assembly has a near-field optical mode and at least one of a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode, said scanning probe microscope assembly comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip;
- means for controlling said light source to provide light to said tip during said near-field optical mode;
- rotationally polarizing means for rotationally polarizing said provided light;
- means for controlling said rotationally polarizing means to rotationally polarize said provided light during said near-field optical mode;
- a photodetector for detecting light that results from said emitted light optically interacting with said object;
- and
- deep surface feature analysis means coupled to said photodetector for identifying deep surface features based on said resulting light detected by said photodetector during said near-field optical mode.
5 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object wherein said scanning probe microscope assembly has a hardness testing mode and at least one of a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode, said scanning probe microscope assembly comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip;
- directing means for directing said tip to penetrate said object at a specific point with a predefined known force;
- means for controlling said light source to provide light to said tip during said hardness testing mode before and after said tip penetrates said object;
- said tip emitting at said sharp end said light provided before and while said tip penetrates said object so that said emitted light optically interacts with said object before and while said tip penetrates said object;
- a photodetector, said photodetector detecting light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object before and while said tip penetrates said object;
- and
- comparing means for comparing said resulting light detected before said tip penetrates said object with said resulting light detected while said tip penetrates said object to determine the hardness of said object.
5 more elements
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object wherein said scanning probe microscope assembly has a hardness testing mode and at least one of a tunneling current mode and an atomic force mode, said scanning probe microscope assembly comprising:
- a probe having a tip with a sharp end;
- means for directing said tip to penetrate said object at a specific point with a predefined known force;
- and
- means for measuring the conductivity of said object before and while said tip penetrates said object to determine the hardness of said object.
1 more element
A scanning probe microscope assembly for examining an object, comprising:
- a probe that includes
- a base,
- a cantilever connected to said base, and
- a tip having a sharp end, said tip connected to said cantilever;
- atomic force means for inducing atomic force interaction between said tip and said object and for detecting deflection of said cantilever due to said atomic force interaction during said atomic force mode;
- tunneling current means for-inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tip and said object during a tunneling current mode;
- holding means for immobilizing said tip with respect to said base during said tunneling current mode;
- a light source optically coupled to said tip for providing light to said tip;
- said tip being shaped to emit light resulting from said provided light at said sharp end so that said emitted light optically interacts with said object;
- and
- a photodetector for detecting light resulting from said emitted light optically interacting with said object.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.