Microscope for force and tunneling microscopy in liquids

• US 5,621,210 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Molecular Imaging Corp (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lindsay, Stuart M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman, Jack I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIET TUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/485,497
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 250/306, 250/307, 250/440.11, 250/442.11, 73/105, 73/788, 73/817
• US Class Current: 850/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 20/02 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 30/14 Liquid environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 70/02 Probe holders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/874 Probe tip array

Abstract

An instrument for carrying out both scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy on the same sample under liquid. A microscope body with a magnetically-suspended sample platen permits both the force-sensing probe and the tunneling tip to be scanned from above the sample, dipping into a liquid cell. The same area of the sample may be scanned by both probes in turn by translating the sample platen that it is under the desired probe. Atomic force microscopy may be carried out on the part of the sample of interest, the sample translated so that the tunneling tip is over the same area and the sample advanced so as to bring the tunneling probe into tunneling range, and a scanning tunneling microscope image obtained.

Claims

1. A scanning probe microscope for examining the properties of a sample surface, said microscope comprising:

a body block;

an x-y scanner attached to said body block;

a sample stage;

means for adjustably suspending said sample stage from said body block;

means for translating said sample stage relative to said scanner;

at least one STM probe attached to said scanner;

at least one AFM probe attached to said scanner; and

means for scanning a selected area of a sample firstly with one of said STM probe or said AFM probe and secondly with the other of said STM probe or said AFM probe.

2. A scanning probe microscope for examining the properties of a sample surface under a fluid, said microscope comprising:

an x-y scanner;

a sample stage;

a fluid cell containing a fluid disposed on said sample stage;

at least one STM probe attached to said scanner and immersed in said fluid;

at least one AFM probe attached to said scanner and immersed in said fluid;

means for translating said sample stage relative to said scanner; and

means for scanning a selected area of a sample disposed on said sample stage and under said fluid first with said AFM probe and then with said STM probe.

3. A scanning probe microscope for examining the properties of a sample surface under a fluid, said microscope comprising:

a body block;

an x-y scanner attached to said body block;

a sample stage;

a fluid cell containing a fluid disposed on said sample stage;

means for adjustably suspending said sample stage from said body block;

means for translating said sample stage relative to said scanner;

at least one STM probe attached to said scanner and immersed in said fluid;

at least one AFM probe attached to said scanner and immersed in said fluid; and

means for scanning a selected area of a sample disposed on said sample stage and under said fluid firstly with one of said STM probe or said AFM probe and secondly with the other of said STM probe or said AFM probe.

4. A scanning probe microscope for examining the properties of a sample surface, said microscope comprising:

a sample stage;

at least one STM probe attached to an x-y scanner;

at least one AFM probe attached to said x-y scanner;

at least one of said STM probe and said AFM probe immersed in a fluid contained within a fluid cell disposed on said sample stage;

means for translating said sample stage relative to said STM probe and said AFM probe; and

means for scanning a selected area of a sample disposed on said sample stage first with said AFM probe and then with said STM probe.

5. A method of operating an AFM/STM microscope having at least one AFM probe and at least one STM probe, said AFM probe and said STM probe suspended from an x-y scanner over a sample stage capable of translation relative to said AFM probe and said STM probe, a sample surface disposed in a fluid cell containing a fluid, said fluid cell disposed on said sample stage, said method comprising the steps of:

adjusting a first gap between the STM probe and the sample surface so that it is greater than a second gap between the AFM probe and the sample surface;

using the AFM probe to scan a selected area of interest on the sample surface while immersed in the fluid;

translating the sample stage; and

using the STM probe to scan said selected area of interest while immersed in the fluid.