Object inspection and/or modification system and method
First Claim
1. In a scanning probe microscope and/or nanomachining system having scanning probe functionality and non-scanning-probe functionality, the system including a probe and/or tool, the probe and/or tool collectively being referred to as the probe, positioned relative to a sample volume and having relative motion between the probe and the sample volume in the X, Y and Z space and controlled and sensed in desired directions with respect to the sample volume and/or any element thereof, the sample volume and/or any element thereof collectively being referred to as the sample volume, and producing data responsive to the sample volume and/or a property of the sample volume, a method for accurately measuring a parameter of the sample volume or performing a task related to the sample volume, the method including the following steps:
- providing a first scan, by the probe, on the sample volume in X, Y and Z to produce data representative of a true surface of the sample volume, the true surface including at least one portion that is a non-function wherein for at least one pair of x,y coordinate values, there is more then one z coordinate value, andstoring the data representative of the sample volume, and/or data representative of any parametric representation of the sample volume.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A scanning probe microscope system (100) includes an objective lens (147), a clamping circuit (404), a tip deflection measurement circuit (421), a cantilever (136), and a probe (137) for modifying and inspecting an object (102) disposed on a stage (129).
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. In a scanning probe microscope and/or nanomachining system having scanning probe functionality and non-scanning-probe functionality, the system including a probe and/or tool, the probe and/or tool collectively being referred to as the probe, positioned relative to a sample volume and having relative motion between the probe and the sample volume in the X, Y and Z space and controlled and sensed in desired directions with respect to the sample volume and/or any element thereof, the sample volume and/or any element thereof collectively being referred to as the sample volume, and producing data responsive to the sample volume and/or a property of the sample volume, a method for accurately measuring a parameter of the sample volume or performing a task related to the sample volume, the method including the following steps:
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providing a first scan, by the probe, on the sample volume in X, Y and Z to produce data representative of a true surface of the sample volume, the true surface including at least one portion that is a non-function wherein for at least one pair of x,y coordinate values, there is more then one z coordinate value, and storing the data representative of the sample volume, and/or data representative of any parametric representation of the sample volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. In a scanning probe microscope and/or nanomachining system having scanning probe functionality and non-scanning-probe functionality, the system including a probe and/or tool, the probe and/or tool collectively being referred to as the probe, positioned relative to a sample volume and/or topography and having relative motion between the probe and the sample volume and/or topography in the X, Y and Z space and controlled and sensed in desired directions with respect to the sample volume and/or topography and/or any element thereof, the sample volume and/or topography and/or any element thereof collectively being referred to as the sample volume and/or topography, and producing data responsive to any element or property of said sample volume and/or topography, a method for accurately measuring a parameter of that sample volume and/or topography or performing a task related to the sample volume and/or topography, the method including the following steps:
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performing an initial operation to produce data representative of the bounding volumetric and/or topographic elements of the sample volume and/or topography, wherein the initial operation is performed using the non scanning probe functionality of the system or using external guide data, storing the data representative of the bounding volume and/or topography, any parametric representation, and/or simultaneous parametric representation and/or any element of that volume or topography, performing a first scan, by the probe, based on the information previously obtained, and measuring a portion or all of the volume or topography or any other parameter associated with the volume or topography or making any change to said volume or topography. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. In a scanning probe microscope and/or nanomachining system having scanning probe functionality and non-scanning-probe functionality, the system including a probe and/or tool, the probe and/or tool collectively being referred to as the probe, positioned relative to a sample volume or topography and having relative motion between the probe and the sample volume and/or topography in the X, Y and Z space and controlled and sensed in desired directions with respect to the sample volume and/or topography and/or any element thereof, the sample volume and/or topography and/or any element thereof collectively being referred to as the sample volume and/or topography, and producing data responsive to any element or property of said sample volume and/or topography, a method for accurately measuring a parameter of the sample volume and/or topography and/or performing a task related to the sample volume and/or topography, the method including the following steps:
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providing a first location, by using the probe, on regions around/on or within the sample volume and/or topography in X, Y and Z to locate the volumetric and/or topographic elements of a starting reference point or points relative to the sample volume and/or topography, without storing the data representative of the sample volume or topography, any parametric representation, and/or simultaneous parametric representation and/or any element of that sample volume or topography, and measuring a portion or all of the sample volume or topography or any other parameter associated with the sample volume or topography and/or making any change to said sample volume or topography. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In a scanning probe microscope and/or nanomachining system, the system including one or more SPM probes and/or tools, the one or more SPM probes and/or tools collectively being referred to as the probe, positioned relative to a sample and having relative motion between the probe and the sample in the X, Y and Z space and controlled and sensed in desired directions with respect to the sample and/or any element thereof, the sample and/or any element thereof collectively being referred to as the sample, and producing data responsive to the sample and/or a property of the sample, a method for accurately measuring a parameter of the sample or performing a task related to the sample, the method comprising:
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performing an inspection of the sample using the probe to produce SPM inspection data representative of a true surface of the sample, the true surface including at least one portion that is a non-function wherein for at least one pair of x,y coordinate values, there is more then one z coordinate value; and using the inspection data to perform an additional SPM operation on the sample. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In a scanning probe microscope and/or nanomachining system having scanning probe functional elements and non-scanning-probe functional elements, the system including one or more SPM probes and/or tools, the one or more SPM probes and/or tools collectively being referred to as the probe, positioned relative to a sample and having relative motion between the probe and the sample in the X, Y and Z space and controlled and sensed in desired directions with respect to the sample and/or any element thereof, the sample and/or any element thereof collectively being referred to as the sample, and producing data responsive to the sample and/or a property of the sample, a method for accurately measuring a parameter of the sample or performing a task related to the sample, the method comprising:
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performing an inspection of the sample using the probe to produce SPM inspection data representative of the sample; using the inspection data to locate and identify a reference point on the existing sample; receiving guide data from one of the non-scanning-probe functional elements, the guide data being independent of the inspection data; and using the reference point and the guide data to perform an additional SPM operation on the sample. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. In a scanning probe microscope and/or nanomachining system having scanning probe functionality and non-scanning-probe functionality,
the system including a probe and/or tool, the probe and/or tool collectively being referred to as the probe, the probe being positioned relative to a sample volume and/or topography and having relative motion between the probe and the sample volume and/or topography in the x, y and z space and controlled and sensed in desired directions with respect to the sample volume and/or topography and/or any element thereof, the sample volume and/or topography and/or any element thereof collectively being referred to as the sample volume and/or topography, and the probe producing data responsive to the sample volume and/or topography and/or a property of the sample volume and/or topography, a method for accurately measuring a parameter of the sample volume and/or topography or performing a task related to the sample volume and/or topography, the method including: -
performing an initial operation to position the probe relative to the sample volume and/or topography in the x and y coordinates wherein the initial operation is performed using the non-scanning-probe functionality of the system or using external guide data; and performing at least one scanning probe operation with the probe to determine the z-coordinate of the surface of the sample volume and/or topography and to (a) produce data representing the sample volume and/or topography and/or a property of the sample volume and/or topography, and/or (b) modify the sample volume and/or topography. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification