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AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsShuichi Baba, Masahiro Watanabe, Toshihiko Nakata, Toru Kurenuma, Hiroshi Kuroda, Takafumi Morimoto, Yukio Kembo, Manabu Edamura
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With a scanning probe microscope, if a plurality of sample properties are measured using a scanning scheme of allowing a probe to approach and withdraw from a sample, the sample properties need to be accurately and reliably detected in the minimum required measurement time. Further, the acting force between the probe and the sample varies depending on the type of the probe and the wear condition of a probe tip. Thus, disadvantageously, property values acquired using different probes cannot be compared with one another unless the artifactual effect of the measuring probes are eliminated. In accordance with the present invention, with a scanning probe microscope, the probe is brought into intermittent contact with the sample, while driving means repeatedly allows the probe to approach and withdraw from the sample with a variable amplitude. The sample property is thus acquired at a high speed. Further, a calibration sample is used in a given environment (given temperature and humidity) to acquire a force curve for at least one point. Information obtained from the force curve is used to correct measurements to display the distribution of the sample property.
A scanning probe microscope that uses a probe to scan a surface of a sample to detect interaction between the probe and the sample surface to measure a sample property, the microscope comprising:
A scanning probe microscope that uses a probe to scan a surface of a sample to detect interaction between the probe and the sample surface to measure a sample property, the microscope comprising a sample stage on which the sample is placed, the probe, driving means for three-dimensionally moving the probe relative to the sample placed on the sample stage, control means for controlling the driving means, means for detecting the deflection of the probe, and means for detecting displacement of the probe, wherein the driving means moves the probe over the sample surface while allowing the probe to withdraw from or approach the sample surface, and when the deflection of the probe and the displacement of the probe is used to acquire an adhesive force of the sample surface to display a distribution of the adhesive force, an artifactual effect of the type of the probe or wear of the probe is corrected on the basis of the acquired adhesive force of the sample surface to display the distribution of the adhesive force.
A scanning probe microscope that uses a probe to scan a surface of a sample to detect interaction between the probe and the sample surface to measure a sample property, the microscope comprising a sample stage on which the sample is placed, the probe, driving means for three-dimensionally moving the probe relative to the sample placed on the sample stage, control means for controlling the driving means, means for detecting the deflection of the probe, and means for detecting displacement of the probe, the scanning probe microscope measuring at least one sample property, wherein the position of the probe is aligned with a measurement point by acquiring the sample property from an alignment pattern, detecting area of the alignment pattern in a distribution image of the acquired sample property, and determining a positional relationship between the probe and the measurement point on the basis of the position of the detected pattern area in the alignment measurement area.
A scanning probe microscope that uses a probe to scan a surface of a sample to detect interaction between the probe and the sample surface to measure a sample property, the microscope comprising a sample stage on which the sample is placed, the probe, driving means for three-dimensionally moving the probe relative to the sample placed on the sample stage, control means for controlling the driving means, means for detecting the deflection of the probe, and means for detecting displacement of the probe, the scanning probe microscope measuring a surface shape or sample property of the sample, wherein a surface shape distribution and a sample property distribution of the sample in the same measurement area are acquired to superimposed display the surface shape distribution and the sample property distribution at the same measurement position in an XY plane.
A method for evaluating a flat polishing characterization in manufacture of a thin film device using a scanning probe microscope, wherein a flat polishing process with resultant exposure of a plurality of materials from a polished surface of a sample comprises using the scanning probe microscope to acquire a surface shape and another sample property of the flat polished sample in the measurement area, using a distribution image of the sample property acquired to determine each material area in the measurement area, and evaluating a polishing property on the basis of the surface shape in each material area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.