Scanning probe microscope assembly and method for making spectrophotometric, near-filed, and scanning probe measurements

• US 20060237639A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanology Alpha LLC
• Original Assignee: General Nanotechnology LLC
• Inventors: Kley, Victor B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,615,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/234
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 20/02 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 30/02 Non-SPM analysing devices, e.g. SEM [Scanning Electron Microscope], spectrometer or optical microscope
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/02 Multiple-type SPM, i.e. involving more than one SPM techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/04 STM [Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy] combined with AFM [Atomic Force Microscopy]
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/16 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/22 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/40 Conductive probes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/002 Scanning microscopes scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/84 Inspecting
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70375 Multiphoton lithography or multiphoton photopolymerization; Imaging systems comprising means for converting one type of radiation into another type of radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/704 Scanned exposure beam, e.g. raster-, rotary- and vector scanning mask projection exposure involving relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging G03F7/70358
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70483 Information management; Active and passive control; Testing; Wafer monitoring, e.g. pattern monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70616 Monitoring the printed patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/232 Manufacture of gap
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3116 Shaping of layers, poles or gaps for improving the form of the electrical signal transduced, e.g. for shielding, contour effect, equalizing, side flux fringing, cross talk reduction between heads or between heads and information tracks G11B5/3113, G11B5/245 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/879 Material

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.

Claims

1. 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;

said tip being shaped to emit 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.

2. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said probe includes a cantilever connected to said tip; and

said non-optical interaction inducing and detecting means includes 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.

3. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said non-optical interaction inducing and detecting means includes means for inducing and detecting a tunneling current between said tip and said object.

4. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a spectrophotometer including said light source and said photodetector for making spectrophotometric measurements of said resulting light.

5. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said tip has a base; and

said scanning probe microscope assembly further comprises a lens disposed over said tip and optically coupled between said light source and said tip for focusing said provided light in said base of said tip.

6. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein said lens is a fresnel lens.

7. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 6 wherein said fresnel lens is formed in said probe over said tip.

8. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein said lens is a refractive lens.

9. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said tip is shaped to capture said resulting light; and

said photodetector is optically coupled to said tip for detecting said captured light.

10. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein:

said tip has a base; and

said scanning probe microscope assembly further comprises a lens disposed over said tip and optically coupled between said light source and said tip for focusing said provided light in said base of said tip, said lens also optically coupled between said tip and said photodetector for focusing said captured light for detection by said photodetector.

11. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 10 further comprising means for directing said provided light to said lens and for directing said focused captured light to said photodetector.

12. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein said directing means includes a fiber optic light guide optically coupled between said light source and said lens and between said photodetector and said lens.

13. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 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.

14. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said obdurate layer comprises diamond oriented normal to the surface of said core material.

15. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said obdurate layer comprises silicon carbide.

16. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said silicon carbide is doped to be conductive.

17. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said obdurate layer comprises carbon nitride.

18. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 13 wherein said obdurate layer comprises tungsten.

19. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 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.

20. A scanning probe microscope assembly as recited in claim 1 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.

21-54. -54. (canceled)