Scan data collection for better overall data accurancy
First Claim
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1. In an AFM (atomic force microscopy) system, a method for collecting scan data comprising:
- positioning the probe to a first location on a surface to be scanned;
collecting scan data along a first scan path comprising;
obtaining information about the surface using a tip portion of the probe at a current location on the surface;
translating the probe to a next location on the surface, including translating the probe in a first direction and in a second direction; and
repeating the steps of obtaining and translating to collect the scan data, wherein each scan datum has corresponding information about the surface and a corresponding first coordinate indicative of a location on the surface;
repeating the step of collecting for subsequent scan paths; and
associating some of the scan data with second coordinates, so that some of the data appears to have been collected at the second coordinates, wherein subsequent processing of the scan data is performed based on the second coordinates for those scan data that have a corresponding second coordinate and based on the first coordinates for those scan data that do not have a corresponding second coordinate.
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Abstract
A scan data collection operation includes performing a scanning operation using a scan path that includes a directional component that is additional to a data collection directional component. The collected scan data is mapped to another set of locations, thus allowing for detection of surface features using fewer scans.
105 Citations
15 Claims
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1. In an AFM (atomic force microscopy) system, a method for collecting scan data comprising:
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positioning the probe to a first location on a surface to be scanned;
collecting scan data along a first scan path comprising;
obtaining information about the surface using a tip portion of the probe at a current location on the surface;
translating the probe to a next location on the surface, including translating the probe in a first direction and in a second direction; and
repeating the steps of obtaining and translating to collect the scan data, wherein each scan datum has corresponding information about the surface and a corresponding first coordinate indicative of a location on the surface;
repeating the step of collecting for subsequent scan paths; and
associating some of the scan data with second coordinates, so that some of the data appears to have been collected at the second coordinates, wherein subsequent processing of the scan data is performed based on the second coordinates for those scan data that have a corresponding second coordinate and based on the first coordinates for those scan data that do not have a corresponding second coordinate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An atomic force microscopy system comprising:
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probe means for detecting a physical characteristic of a surface to be scanned;
translation means operatively coupled with the probe means for moving the probe;
control means for controlling the translation means to effect a scanning operation of the surface;
data collection means for obtaining scan data from the probe means, the scan data representative of a detected physical characteristic of the surface, the scan data having corresponding first location information representative of where on the surface the scan data was obtained;
first processing means for remapping the corresponding location information of the scan data so that at least some of the scan data have a corresponding second location information; and
second processing means for analyzing the scan data based on the second location information and on the first location information if a scan datum does not have corresponding second location information. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification