EP0444697A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Atomic probe microscope and cantilever unit for use in the microscope
Assignee: Olympus Corp
•
Filing: 1991-03-01
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2011-03-01
Abstract
Abstract An atomic probe microscope comprises a cantilever (111) which includes a lever section (202) provided with a probe (214), a lever attaching section (215) for supporting the lever section (202), and a positioning striking section formed at the lever attaching section. A cantilever unit comprises a seat (109) for supporting the cantilever (111) and provided with a struck face (304) against which the positioning striking section is struck. The object of the present invention is to provide a cantilever unit capable of making easier the exchange of the micro-cantilever with a new one for the atomic force microscope and the like and accurately attaching the new micro-cantilever to its original position with a higher reproductiveness.
Inventors
- 👤 Akitoshi Toda
- 👤 Shuzo Mishima
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:57
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01Q; G01Q60/00; G01Q60/24; G01Q60/38; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y35/00; G01Q70/00; G01Q70/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/84; Y10S977/849; Y10S977/86; Y10S977/873
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
64 words
A cantilever unit comprising: a cantilever (111) including a lever section (202) provided with a probe (214), a lever attaching section (215) for supporting the lever section (202), and a positioning striking section formed at the lever attaching section (215) characterized by a lever seat for supporting the cantilever (111), provided with a struck face (304) against which the positioning striking section is struck.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
31 words
The cantilever unit according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising means (250) for fixing the cantilever to the lever seat while keeping the striking section struck against the struck face.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The cantilever unit according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the positioning striking section is made by lithography techniques.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
28 words
The cantilever unit according to claim 3, characterized in that said positioning striking section is made by the process to form the lever section (202) of the cantilever.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The cantilever unit according to claim 3, characterized in that at least the lever section (202) of the cantilever (111) is made using a crystal material as its starting material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
15 words
The cantilever unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the crystal material is silicon.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
The cantilever unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the positioning striking section has means (503, 504, 505) for preventing the cantilever and the lever seat from being shifted from each other when the cantilever (111) is fixed to the lever seat (109).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
156 words
An atomic probe microscope comprising: a cantilever (111) including a lever attaching section (215), a lever section (202) having a tip, arranged at the lever attaching section (215), a probe (214) attached to the tip of the lever section (202) to scan a sample, and a positioning striking section formed at the lever attaching section (215) characterized by detector means for detecting physical quantity created between the sample and the probe while the probe (214) scans the sample; a seat (109) for supporting the cantilever (111) and provided with a first struck face (304) against which the positioning striking section is struck and a second striking face (305) formed at a position different from that of the first struck face (304); and a seat support section (108) formed at the body of the microscope to support the seat (109) and provided with a third struck face (117) against which the second striking face (305) is struck.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
64 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 8, characterized by further comprising: first means (250) for fixing the cantilever to the seat (109) while keeping the positioning striking section struck against the first struck face; and second means (110) for fixing the seat (109) to the seat support section (108) while keeping the second striking face (305) struck against the third struck face (117).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
43 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 9, characterized in that said detector means has a displacement measuring optical means for measuring the amount of the lever section (202) elastically deformed by interatomic force created while the probe (214) scans the sample (112).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
69 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 10, characterized in that the cantilever (111) includes a reference section (22) formed at a position which is separated from the tip of the lever section (202) by a certain distance and said displacement measuring optical means shoots beams onto the tip of the lever section and the reference section (22) to measure the elastically deformed amount of the lever section (202).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 11, characterized in that the reference section (22) is formed at the lever attaching section (215) and both of the tip of the lever section and the reference section (22) have the same reflection factors.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
56 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 11, characterized in that the cantilever (111) has plural lever sections, different in length, and each of the reference sections (22) is formed in the lever attaching section (215) at such a position that is separated from the tip of each of the lever sections by a certain distance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 11, characterized in that the reference section (22) has a means for absorbing mechanical vibration applied from outside.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 8, characterized in that the seat (109) has a cantilever fixing means (120) provided with plural struck faces to which plural cantilevers (111) are fixed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
48 words
The atomic probe microscope according to claim 15, characterized in that the seat (109) has a rotating shaft by which it is rotatably held on the body of the atomic probe microscope and the plural cantilevers (111) are fixed symmetrical relative to the rotating shaft of the seat.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
112 words
An atomic probe microscope comprising: a cantilever (111) including a lever section (202) having a prove (214) attached to a distal end of the lever section (202) and which is elastic deformable, and a lever attaching section (215) supporting said lever section (202), characterized in that said cantilever comprises a reference section (22) spaced apart by a predetermined distance from the distal end of the lever section (202), and characterized by further comprising an optical displacement measuring system (113) for applying light to the distal end of said lever section (202) and said reference section (22), thereby to measure the displacement of the distal end with respect to said reference section (22).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.