EP0441311A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Surface microscope apparatus
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1991-02-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-02-05
Abstract
Abstract An atomic force microscope is provided for sensing displacement of a cantilever (1) based on a scanning tunneling microscopy. Concretely, the present invention comprises a first microscope having a cantilever (1) for sensing atomic force or magnetic force and an STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscope) functioned as a second microscope for sensing tunneling current and keeping the tunneling current constant. It results in the microscope being able to carry out atomic force microscopy and tunneling microscopy without changing a single STM tip (1b) and to control the minimal force between the sample (3) and the tip (1b) to be constant.
Inventors
- 👤 Tsuyoshi Hitachi Daiyon Kyoshinryo B208 Hasegawa
- 👤 Sumio Hosaka
- 👤 Shigeyuki Hosoki
- 👤 Yukio Honda
- 👤 Masakazu Ichikawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 00:15
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01Q; G01Q10/00; G01Q10/04; G01Q10/06; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y35/00; G01Q20/00; G01Q30/00; G01Q30/08; G01Q30/16; G01Q70/00; G01Q70/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/84; Y10S977/849; Y10S977/852; Y10S977/86; Y10S977/861; Y10S977/863; Y10S977/873
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
56 words
A surface microscope apparatus comprising a sample (3), a first microscope for observing a surface of said sample, and a second microscope located on the above side of said first microscope, which are accommodated within a chamber, wherein said first microscope is moved backward and said second microscope is allowed to be operated at any time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
56 words
A surface microscope apparatus comprising a sample (3), a first microscope for observing a surface of said sample, and a second microscope located on the above side of said first microscope, which are accommodated within a chamber, said second microscope being operated for keeping minimal force exerted between said sample (3) and a tip (2) constant.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The surface microscope apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said second microscope feed back a displacement signal to a sample base.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
A surface microscopy comprising a first microscope and a second microscope against a sample (3) located within a chamber, said second microscope being located on said first microscope for keeping the minimal force between said first microscope and said sample (3) with said second microscope, a tip (1b) of said second microscope located above a tip (2) of said first microscope, and means for controlling the minimal force between said tip (1b) of said second microscope and said tip (2) of said first microscope to be constant.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
190 words
A surface microscopy comprising a first step of leaving a cantilever (1) for holding a minimal force sensing tip (1b) in a free state and setting a distance between said cantilever (1) and a tunneling tip (2) located in opposition to said cantilever (1) to a first distance allowing the tunneling current flowing between said cantilever (1) and said tunneling tip (2) to be controlled to a predetermined value, a second step of setting the distance between said tunneling tip (2) and said cantilever (1) left in the free state to a second distance made by adding said first distance to a predetermined minimal distance, and a third step of moving said minimal force sensing tip (1b) closer to the surface of a sample (3), scanning the surface of said sample (3) with said minimal force sensing tip (1b) as controlling relative position between said tunneling tip (2) and said sample (3) so as to control the tunneling current flowing between said tunneling tip (2) and said cantilever (1) to be a predetermined value, and measuring how relative position between said tunneling tip (2) and said sample (3) is changed.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
145 words
In a scan type microscope employing tunneling miroscopy and being arranged to scan on a sample surface a tip (1b) located at the tip of a cantilever (1) inserted between a tunneling tip (2) and a sample (3) and sense with said tunneling tip (2) the displacement of said cantilever (1) resulting from atomic force or magnetic force exerted between the tip (1b) located at the tip of said cantilever (1) and said sample (3), said scan type microscope comprising a cantilever moving system (5) for moving backward said cantilever (1) between said tunneling tip (2) and said sample (3) to such a position as allowing said tunneling tip (2) to come closer to the surface of said sample (3) without meeting any obstacle, and switching the observing method from atomic force microscopy to tunneling microscopy or vice versa without changing the STM tip (2).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The surface microscope as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said cantilever moving system (5) allows the cantilever (1) to be moved by several millimeters or several tens millimeters at least with respect to one axis and has submicron or less positioning accuracy.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
The surface microscope as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein said cantilever moving system (5) has two or more cantilevers (1) mounted thereon and is designed to select any one of said cantilevers (1).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The surface microscope as claimed in claim 8, wherein said two or more cantilevers (1) are prepared for sensing different kinds of forces such as atomic force and magnetic force.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The surface microscope as claimed in one of the claims 5 to 9, wherein said cantilever moving system (5) is allowed to be remotely operated.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
143 words
In a surface microscope providing a minimal force sensing tip (1b) located in opposition to the surface of a sample (3), a cantilever (1) for holding said sensing tip (1b), and a tunneling tip (2) located in opposition to said cantilever and measuring displacement of said cantilever (1) based on the minimal force exerted between said minimal force sensing tip (1b) and said sample (3) by using the tunneling microscopy with said tunneling tip (2) for the purpose of obtaining surface topography of said sample (3), said surface microscope comprising presetting means (42) for presetting a distance between said cantilever (1) left in a free state before measuring said sample (3) and said tunneling tip (2) to a predetermined distance containing displacement of said cantilever (1) left in the free state caused by said predetermined minimal force value during measuring said sample (3).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
99 words
The surface microscope as claimed in claim 11, wherein said presetting means (42) includes means for setting a distance between said tunneling tip (2) and said cantilever (1) for controlling the tunneling current flowing between said tunneling tip (2) and said cantilever (1) to be a predetermined value when said cantilever (1) is left in a free state and means for setting a distance between said tunneling tip (2) and said cantilever (1) to a distance made by adding to said set distance a displacement from the free state of said cantilever (1) based on said predetermined minimal force.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The surface microscope as claimed in claim 11 or 12, wherein said minimal force sensing tip (1b) is made of a conductive material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
The surface microscope as claimed in one of the claims 11 to 13, further comprising means (123) for flowing the tunneling current between said minimal force sensing tip (1b) and said sample (3) and means (20) for sensing said tunneling current.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
56 words
The surface microscope as claimed in one of the claims 11 to 14, wherein said sample (3) has an insulating film coated on the surface of said sample (3). 16. The surface microscope as claimed in one of the claims 11 to 15, wherein said minimal force sensing tip (1b) is made of a magnetic material.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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