PROBE CANNING MICROSCOPE

• Main Author: NANKO TOMOAKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.06.1994
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBEMICROSCOPY [SPM]; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS; ELECTRICITY; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; PHYSICS; SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; TESTING

PURPOSE:To eliminate the nonlinearlity of an actuator by a method wherein, in the case of a large measuring region, a sample is positioned while the displacement amount of the actuator is being measured by a displacement meter. CONSTITUTION:When a probe 1 is brought close to a sample 2 up to a very small distance at which an interatomic force acts, the probe 1 is deformed. Its deformation is found by a displacement detection circuit 5, and a Z-actuator 7 is controlled by a servo circuit 6. In this state, the output of the circuit 6 is taken into a computer 14, and the shape of the sample 2 is measured. When a large region is measured, first scanning signals X1, Y1 are input to a position control circuit 13 from the computer 14, an X-actuator 8 and a Y-actuator 9 are driven so that the signals coincide with outputs of displacement meters 10, 11, and the sample 2 is positioned. In the case of a small region, the output of the circuit 13 is held by a sample-and-hold signal S/H from the computer 14, second scanning signals X2, Y2 are added, the actuators 8, 9 are driven, and the sample 2 is positioned.