Measuring and testing – Surface and cutting edge testing – Roughness
Patent
1998-02-17
2000-07-11
Larkin, Daniel S.
Measuring and testing
Surface and cutting edge testing
Roughness
250306, 250307, 2504922, G01N 2100, G01B 1500
Patent
active
060855800
ABSTRACT:
The present invention is a differential force microscope (DFM) for identifying an individual atom of a substrate, such as a dopant or impurity atom. The DFM includes a light source which can be controlled to turn ON and OFF to cause alternate excitation and relaxation of an atom in the substrate. An atomic force microscope (AFM) includes an electrically conductive tip (AFM tip) positionable adjacent to a surface of the substrate to measure an attractive force or equivalent thereof exerted by the atom on the AFM tip. When the tip is positioned adjacent to the atom, the tip is influenced by attractive forces exerted on the tip by the atom in both the relaxed state and the excited state. A differential amplifier amplifies the attractive forces to produce an output signal corresponding to a differential attractive force exerted by the atom in the relaxed state and the excited state. As the excitation energy of any atom is unique, it is then possible to identify the specific atom and, moreover, to determine a concentration of such an atom in the substrate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4777364 (1988-10-01), Sartore
patent: 4837435 (1989-06-01), Sakuhara et al.
patent: 4942299 (1990-07-01), Kazmerski
patent: 5440122 (1995-08-01), Yasutake
patent: 5444260 (1995-08-01), Kazmerski
Terris et al., "Localized Charge Force Microscopy", J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A., vol. 08, No. 01, Jan./Feb. 1990, pp. 374-377.
Ludeke Rudolf
Wen Huajun
International Business Machines - Corporation
Larkin Daniel S.
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