Radiant energy – Inspection of solids or liquids by charged particles
Patent
1995-03-07
1996-02-27
Berman, Jack I.
Radiant energy
Inspection of solids or liquids by charged particles
250307, H01J 37252
Patent
active
054951097
ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus for high resolution mapping of the chemical composition of a thin film utilizes scanning probe microscopy techniques. The sample to be studied is prepared as a thin film disposed on a conductive backing electrode. A sensitive electrometer is connected to the backing electrode to detect current passing through it. According to a first aspect of the invention, a force sensing cantilever is scanned relative to the sample surface a plurality of times. Topographic information about the sample surface is obtained in a conventional manner by studying deflections of the cantilever or feedback current used to minimize deflections of the cantilever. Simultaneously, a voltage is applied to the probe tip. This voltage, through a tunneling current to the backing electrode, causes reduction and/or oxidation reactions in the sample surface. On successive scans, different voltages may be used. In this way, the tunneling current at each of a number of different voltages for each location in the sample surface is obtained. Because specific oxidation and reduction reactions take place only at well defined voltages, it is possible, from the current measured at a certain location and a certain applied voltage at that location, to deduce what the chemical located at that location is. According to a second aspect of the invention, a scanning tunneling microscope mechanism may be used instead of a force sensing mechanism.
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Jing Tianwei
Lindsay Stuart M.
Berman Jack I.
Molecular Imaging Corporation
Nguyen Kiet T.
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