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Scanning-probe microscope including non-optical means for detecting normal tip-sample interactions

  • US 6,094,971 A
  • Filed: 09/24/1997
  • Issued: 08/01/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1997
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A scanning-probe microscope for measuring the topography of a surface of a sample, said scanning-probe microscope comprising:

  • an XYZ piezo drive;

    a quartz tuning-fork oscillator having a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein said quartz tuning-fork oscillator is attached to said XYZ piezo drive, and wherein said quartz tuning-fork oscillator is oriented such that the tines of said quartz tuning-fork oscillator each lie in the XY plane and their fundamental mode of oscillation vibrates the ends of said tines in the Z direction;

    a probe tip affixed to one of said tines, said probe tip comes to a point in the Z direction and directed away from said XYZ piezo drive;

    a signal source to provide a drive signal to drive said first electrode at a mechanical resonant frequency of said quartz tuning-fork oscillator;

    a current-to-voltage amplifier to monitor the electrical current flowing through said second electrode and having an output, wherein the electrical impedance of said quartz tuning-fork oscillator may be measured, and the resonant vibration amplitude of said quartz tuning-fork oscillator is monitored; and

    wherein said XYZ piezo drive is operable to move said probe tip close to said surface of said sample until said probe tip lightly taps said sample surface thereby decreasing and oscillation amplitude said electrical impedance of said quartz tuning-fork oscillator and wherein the interaction between said probe tip and said sample surface can be used to regulate the distance between said probe tip and said sample surface.

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