Scanning probe microscopy inspection and modification system

• US 7,045,780 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2003
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Terraspan LLC
• Original Assignee: General Nanotechnology LLC
• Inventors: Kley, Victor B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL SHAMMAA, MARY A
• Application Number:
  US10/616,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 250/306, 250/307, 250/492.2, 731/05
• US Class Current: 250/306
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/31 for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/225 using electron or ion
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 10/02 Coarse scanning or positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 10/04 Fine scanning or positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 10/06 Circuits or algorithms therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 20/00 Monitoring the movement or position of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 20/02 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 30/04 Display or data processing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 40/00 Calibration, e.g. of probes
• 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 60/38 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/58 SThM [Scanning Thermal Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. SThM probes
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 70/02 Probe holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 70/06 Probe tip arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 80/00 Applications, other than SPM, of scanning-probe techniques manufacture or treatment of nanostructures B82B3/00; recording or reproducing information using near-field interaction G11B9/12, G11B11/24, G11B13/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/002 Scanning microscopes scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/72 Repair or correction of mask defects
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/84 Inspecting
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2049 : using a cantilever
• 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 7/70616 : Monitoring the printed patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/12 : using recording by optical means G11B11/03 takes precedence G11B11/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/16 : using recording by mechanical cutting, deforming or pressing G11B11/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/0002 : Special dispositions or recording techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/0021 : Thermally assisted recording using an auxiliary energy source for heating the recording layer locally to assist the magnetization reversal
• 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: G11B 5/3163 : Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3166 : Testing or indicating in relation thereto, e.g. before the fabrication is completed
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/14 : using microscopic probe means , i.e. recording or reproducing by means directly associated with the tip of a microscopic electrical probe as used in Scanning Tunneling Microscopy [STM] or Atomic Force Microscopy [AFM] for inducing physical or electrical perturbations in a recording medium; Record carriers or media specially adapted for such transducing of information marking using electrical current B41M5/20; measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces G01B7/34; details of scanning-probe microscopes G01Q
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1409 : Heads
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1418 : Disposition or mounting of heads or record carriers G11B17/00 and G11B19/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1427 : with provision for moving the heads or record carriers relatively to each other or for access to indexed parts without effectively imparting a relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1436 : with provision for moving the heads or record carriers relatively to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1445 : switching at least one head in operating function; Controlling the relative spacing to keep the head operative, e.g. for allowing a tunnel current flow
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1454 : Positioning the head or record carrier into or out of operative position or across information tracks; Alignment of the head relative to the surface of the record carrier G11B9/1445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/149 : characterised by the memorising material or structure
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/006 : of the gap-closing type H02N1/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/855 : for manufacture of nanostructure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/871 : with environmental regulation means

Abstract

A scanning probe microscopy (SPM) inspection and/or modification system which uses SPM technology and techniques. The system includes various types of microstructured SPM probes for inspection and/or modification of the object. The components of the SPM system include microstructured calibration structures. A probe may be defective because of wear or because of fabrication errors. Various types of reference measurements of the calibration structure are made with the probe or vice versa to calibrate it. The components of the SPM system further include one or more tip machining structures. At these structures, material of the tips of the SPM probes may be machined by abrasively lapping and chemically lapping the material of the tip with the tip machining structures.

Claims

1. A probe for delivering a fluid material to an object, the probe comprising:

a tip with a capillary;

a microstructured pump having an inlet to receive the fluid material and an outlet in fluid communication with the capillary, the pump pumping the fluid material into the capillary so that the fluid material is ejected by the capillary and delivered to the object in response to a control signal received by the pump.

2. A probe as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a base in which the pump is formed; and

a support platform connected to the base and on which the tip is located, the support structure having a duct that connects the capillary of the tip and the outlet of the pump.

3. A mask repair tool comprising:

an SPM probe comprising a tip with a capillary;

a pump having an inlet to receive fluid material and an outlet in fluid communication with the capillary, the pump pumping the fluid material into the capillary so that the fluid material is ejected by the capillary and delivered to the mask in response to a control signal received by the pump.

4. A mask repair tool as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

a base in which the pump is formed; and

a support platform connected to the base and on which the tip is located, the support structure having a duct that connects the capillary of the tip and the outlet of the pump.

5. A mask repair tool as recited in claim 3 further comprising a controller configured to:

receive modification data representing a required modification to be made to the mask'"'"'s material; and

in response to the modification data, generate the control signal.

6. A mask repair tool as recited in claim 3 wherein the fluid material is a liquid.

7. A method of performing repairs on a mask, the method comprising:

receiving modification data representing a required addition to be made to the mask'"'"'s material; and

in response to the modification data, adding fluid material to the mask with an SPM probe.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising generating the modification data by making SPM measurements of the mask.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the SPM measurements are generated with the same SPM probe as the SPM probe used to add fluid material to the mask.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the SPM measurements are generated with a different SPM probe than the SPM probe used to add fluid material to the mask.

11. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the fluid material is a liquid.

12. A method as recited in claim 7 wherein the fluid material is introduced to the surface of the mask through an orifice in a tip of the SPM probe.

13. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising using the mask, so repaired, in a lithographic fabrication process.