Method and apparatus for measuring electrical properties in torsional resonance mode
AssigneeVeeco Instruments Inc.
InventorsLin Huang, Chanmin Su
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The preferred embodiments are directed to a method and apparatus of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) including oscillating a probe of the SPM at a torsional resonance of the probe, and generally simultaneously measuring an electrical property, e.g., a current, capacitance, impedance, etc., between a probe of the SPM and a sample at a separation controlled by the torsional resonance mode. Preferably, the measuring step is performed while using torsional resonance feedback to maintain a set-point of SPM operation.
Claims36
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) including a probe having a cantilever, the method comprising the steps of:
- measuring an electrical property between a probe of the SPM and a sample while oscillating the cantilever at or near a resonance of the cantilever, the resonance being at least one of a torsional resonance and a lateral resonance and wherein the cantilever extends along the sample and includes a tip extending substantially orthogonally to the sample;
- and
- maintaining a probe-sample separation less than about 10 nm.
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) including a probe having a cantilever, the method comprising the steps of:
- measuring an electrical property between a probe of the SPM and a sample while oscillating the cantilever at or near a resonance of the cantilever, the resonance being at least one of a torsional resonance and a lateral resonance;
- and
- adjusting the probe-sample separation based on a measurement of a property of the torsional oscillation of the cantilever.
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) including a probe having a cantilever, the method comprising the steps of:
- measuring an electrical property between a probe of the SPM and a sample while oscillating the cantilever at or near a resonance of the cantilever, the resonance being at least one of a torsional resonance and a lateral resonance;
- and
- wherein the probe is a self-actuated probe having a cantilever including an active element, and wherein the self actuated probe includes a piezoelectric drive actuator disposed on a backside of a cantilever of the self-actuated probe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.