摘要:
Described are methods for magnetically actuating microcantilevers and magnetically actuated and self-heated microcantilevers. Also described are methods for determining viscoelastic properties and thermal transition temperatures of materials.
摘要:
A method of operating a metrology instrument includes generating relative motion between a probe and a sample at a scan frequency using an actuator. The method also includes detecting motion of the actuator using a position sensor that exhibits noise in the detected motion, and controlling the position of the actuator using a feedback loop and a feed forward algorithm. In this embodiment, the controlling step attenuates noise in the actuator position compared to noise exhibited by the position sensor over the scan bandwidth. Scan frequencies up to a third of the first scanner resonance frequency or greater than 300 Hz are possible.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for its practice are provided of differentiating at least one component of a heterogeneous sample from other component(s) using harmonic resonance imaging and of obtaining information regarding the sample from the differentiation. In a preferred embodiment, an image is created of a property of a harmonic or a combination of a harmonics producing a response having a contrast factor between the sample's constituent components. The desired harmonic(s) can be identified either in a preliminary data acquisition procedure on the sample or, if the sample's constituent components are known in advance, predetermined. The desired harnonic(s) may be identified directly by the user or automatically through, e.g., pattern recognition. A compositional map may then be generated and displayed and/or additional information about the sample may be obtained.
摘要:
An integrated cantilever sensor array system that accurately detects and measures the presence of target substances in various environmental conditions. The integrated cantilever sensor array system comprises a cantilever sensor measurement head, a cantilever sensor system for measuring the oscillatory properties of the cantilevers and a measurement chamber. The measurement head includes a cantilever array having at least one cantilever, a light source and a detector positioned to detect incoming light reflected by the cantilevers within the cantilever array. The cantilever sensor system measures the oscillatory properties generated by the cantilevers within the cantilever array. The system includes the cantilever array and a detection system that measures a signal related to the bending of the cantilever. In addition, optional components such as a high frequency clock, Q-Control, may be added to more accurately measure the oscillation of the cantilevers within the cantilever array. The measurement chamber includes a flow cell, a cantilever sensor array mounted within the flow cell. The flow cell is designed to minimize dead volume and unwanted air bubbles within the cell, which may reduce accuracy of measurement.
摘要:
A universal probe which can be used with many different types of scanning probe microscopes is disclosed. The probe is mounted on a flexible base. The flexible base may either be a flexible cantilevered beam or a flexible membrane. The probe is a sharply tapered probe and forms in general a squat hollow pyramid or cone. The apex of the pyramid or cone has an aperture defined therethrough with a small controlled diameter of the order of 10 to 50,000 Angstroms. The hollow within the probe is filled with a material chosen according to the type of the scanning probe microscope used and the underlying surface. A signal is coupled to the material in the tip of the probe from the scanning probe microscope to interact with the underlying surface.
摘要:
This invention involves measurement of optical properties of materials with sub-micron spatial resolution through infrared scattering scanning near field optical microscopy (s-SNOM). Specifically, the current invention provides substantial improvements over the prior art by achieving high signal to noise, high measurement speed and high accuracy of optical amplitude and phase. Additionally, it some embodiments, it eliminates the need for an in situ reference to calculate wavelength dependent spectra of optical phase, or absorption spectra. These goals are achieved via improved asymmetric interferometry where the near-field scattered light is interfered with a reference beam in an interferometer. The invention achieves dramatic improvements in background rejection by arranging a reference beam that is much more intense than the background scattered radiation. Combined with frequency selective demodulation techniques, the near-field scattered light can be efficiently and accurately discriminated from background scattered light. These goals are achieved via a range of improvements including a large dynamic range detector, careful control of relative beam intensities, and high bandwidth demodulation techniques. In other embodiments, phase and amplitude stability are improved with a novel s-SNOM configuration.
摘要:
Described are methods for magnetically actuating microcantilevers and magnetically actuated and self-heated microcantilevers. Also described are methods for determining viscoelastic properties and thermal transition temperatures of materials.
摘要:
A method, and corresponding apparatus, of imaging sub-surface features at a plurality of locations on a sample includes coupling an ultrasonic wave into a sample at a first lateral position. The method then measures the amplitude and phase of ultrasonic energy near the sample with a tip of an atomic force microscope. Next, the method couples an ultrasonic wave into a sample at a second lateral position and the measuring step is repeated for the second lateral position. Overall, the present system and methods achieve high resolution sub-surface mapping of a wide range of samples, including silicon wafers. It is notable that when imaging wafers, backside contamination is minimized.
摘要:
A method includes determining the point at which a tip of a probe based instrument contacts a sample and/or the area of that contact by dynamically oscillating a cantilever of the instrument in flexural and/or torsional modes. The method additionally includes using oscillation characteristics, such as amplitude, phase, and resonant frequency, to determine the status of the contact and to provide quantitative data. Static and quasi-static measurements, including contact stiffness and elastic modulus, can be obtained from the thus obtained data. Quasistatic measurements, such as creep and viscoelastic modulus, can be obtained by repeating the static measurements for a number of force profiles at different force application rates and correlating the resultant data using known theories.
摘要:
A drive actuator for a measurement instrument having a probe, the drive actuator including a heating element in a thermally conductive relationship with the probe such that application of electric current to the heating element modifies a characteristic of the probe. The probe device includes a probe including a cantilever having a lever made of a material having a selected thermal expansivity and a drive actuator in operable cooperation with the cantilever lever made of a material having a thermal expansivity different than the thermal expansivity of the material of which the cantilever lever is made.