METHOD AND APPARATUS OF AUTOMATIC SCANNING PROBE IMAGING
First Claim
1. A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) to identify and provide greater resolution for one or more sample features, the method including:
- scanning a sample at a first resolution as a probe of the SPM interacts with the sample;
collecting sample surface data in response to the scanning step;
during collection of the sample surface data,identifying a sub-section of the sample including a feature detected based on the sample surface data using at least two identification parameters; and
automatically scanning the sub-section of the sample at a second resolution as a probe of the SPM interacts with the sub-section of the sample, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) includes scanning a sample as a probe of the SPM interacts with a sample, and collecting sample surface data in response to the scanning step. The method identifies a feature of the sample from the sample surface data and automatically performs a zoom-in scan of the feature based on the identifying step. The method operates to quickly identify and confirm the location of features of interest, such as nano-asperities, so as to facilitate performing a directed high resolution image of the feature.
30 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) to identify and provide greater resolution for one or more sample features, the method including:
-
scanning a sample at a first resolution as a probe of the SPM interacts with the sample; collecting sample surface data in response to the scanning step; during collection of the sample surface data, identifying a sub-section of the sample including a feature detected based on the sample surface data using at least two identification parameters; and automatically scanning the sub-section of the sample at a second resolution as a probe of the SPM interacts with the sub-section of the sample, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A probe-based instrument for identifying and providing greater resolution for one or more sample features, the instrument comprising:
-
a scanning probe microscope (SPM), the SPM including a probe having a cantilever bearing a tip; a feature identification engine configured to identify a sub-section of the sample, the sub-section including a feature detected based on the sample surface data using at least two identification parameters; and a feature scanning controller, the feature scanning controller configured to provide control signals to the SPM to scan the sub-section of the sample at a second resolution as a probe of the SPM interacts with the sub-section of the sample, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) to identify and provide greater resolution for one or more sample features, the method including:
-
scanning a sample to generate sample surface data at a first resolution based on interaction between a cantilevered probe of the SPM and the sample; identifying a sub-section of the sample including a feature detected based on the sample surface data; verifying the sub-section based on at least two verification tests including at least one of feedback inverse correlation testing, pattern match testing, and reverse symmetry testing; and scanning the verified sub-section of the sample at a second resolution as a probe of the SPM interacts with the sub-section of the sample, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method of operating a scanning probe microscope (SPM) to identify and provide greater resolution for one or more sample features, the method including:
-
performing a survey scan of a sample at a frequency of at least 5 Hz to generate sample surface data at a first resolution based on interaction between a probe of the SPM and the sample; identifying a sub-section of the sample including a feature having a height greater than about 1 nanometer; verifying the sub-section to identify the feature from noise using at least two verification tests including at least one of feedback inverse correlation testing, pattern match testing, and reverse symmetry testing; and performing a data scan of the verified sub-section of the sample at a second resolution as a probe of the SPM interacts with the sub-section of the sample, the second resolution being greater than the first resolution. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
Specification