BAND EXCITATION METHOD APPLICABLE TO SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are described for scanning probe microscopy. A method includes generating a band excitation (BE) signal having finite and predefined amplitude and phase spectrum in at least a first predefined frequency band; exciting a probe using the band excitation signal; obtaining data by measuring a response of the probe in at least a second predefined frequency band; and extracting at least one relevant dynamic parameter of the response of the probe in a predefined range including analyzing the obtained data. The BE signal can be synthesized prior to imaging (static band excitation), or adjusted at each pixel or spectroscopy step to accommodate changes in sample properties (adaptive band excitation). An apparatus includes a band excitation signal generator; a probe coupled to the band excitation signal generator; a detector coupled to the probe; and a relevant dynamic parameter extractor component coupled to the detector, the relevant dynamic parameter extractor including a processor that performs a mathematical transform selected from the group consisting of an integral transform and a discrete transform.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1-18. -18. (canceled)
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19. An apparatus, comprising:
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a band excitation signal generator that generates an excitation signal; a probe coupled to the band excitation signal generator wherein the probe is simultaneously excited at a plurality of frequencies within a predetermined frequency band based on the excitation signal; and a detector coupled to the probe that measures a response of the probe across a subset of frequencies of the predetermined frequency band. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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24-29. -29. (canceled)
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35. An apparatus, comprising:
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a band excitation signal generator that generates an excitation signal; a probe coupled to the band excitation signal generator wherein the probe is simultaneously excited at a plurality of frequencies within a predetermined frequency band based on the excitation signal; a detector coupled to the probe that measures a response of the probe across a subset of frequencies of the predetermined frequency band; and an active operational feedback component that adjusts the excitation signal based on the response measured by the detector. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An apparatus, comprising:
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a band excitation signal generator that generates an excitation signal; a probe coupled to the band excitation signal generator wherein the probe is simultaneously excited at a plurality of frequencies within a predetermined frequency band based on the excitation signal; a detector coupled to the probe that scans a sample held in the apparatus to measure a response of the probe across a subset of frequencies of the predetermined frequency band; and a relevant dynamic parameter extractor that separately extracts resonant frequency, maximum amplitude, and Q factor parameters associated with each position crossed during the scan. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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Specification