Radiant energy – Inspection of solids or liquids by charged particles
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-04-10
Anderson, Bruce C. (Department: 2881)
Radiant energy
Inspection of solids or liquids by charged particles
C250S307000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215121
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional scanning probe microscope, and more specifically, is directed to such a three-dimensional scanning probe microscope capable of acquiring a plurality of types of physical information of a sample during a single scanning operation or single pass.
As a method for observing a shape of a sample surface and a physical amount characteristic of the sample surface using a conventional scanning probe microscope, an observation method is mainly subdivided into a method for observing a sample while a probe is brought in contact with the sample, and another method for observing a sample while a probe is not brought in contact with the sample.
When a sample is observed by way of the former method, for instance, concave/convex images of a surface of the sample and friction images thereof can be separately observed. On the other hand, when a sample is observed by way of the latter method, physical information emitted from a surface of the sample, for example, a magnetic distribution image and an electrostatic distribution image of the sample can be observed.
In the above-described observation methods, the sample surface is scanned in a two-dimensional manner by the probe so as to be observed, while the probe is brought in contact with the sample surface, or is separated from the sample surface by a predetermined distance. As a result, data which is acquired during a single observation operation merely corresponds to a single physical amount contained in a sample. These observation methods are not especially designed to be capable of acquiring a plurality of physical amounts during a single observation operation. Also, in the conventional observation methods, for instance, in such a case that a magnetic distribution image of a sample is observed, although the two-dimensional magnetic distribution image of the sample where the probe is at a position separated from this sample by a preselected distance can be observed, there is a problem. That is, a three-dimensional magnetic distribution image of the sample cannot be observed. This three-dimensional magnetic distribution image is produced by adding a magnetic distribution of a height direction of the sample to this two-dimensional magnetic distribution image.
The present invention has been made in view of the shortcoming of the above-described conventional techniques, and provides a three-dimensional scanning probe microscope capable of observing a plurality of physical amounts of a sample while an observation is carried out in one pass. Another object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional scanning probe microscope capable of acquiring a physical characteristic of a sample in a three-dimensional manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above-explained objects, a three-dimensional scanning prove microscope, according to a first feature of the present invention, is featured by being a three-dimensional scanning probe microscope equipped with a probe capable of performing relative scanning operations along an x direction and a y direction in parallel to a surface of a sample, and also a moving operation along a z direction perpendicular to the sample surface with respect to the sample surface, wherein the probe is moved along the z direction at a second frequency in such an amplitude at least defined from a first position where the sample surface is depressed by the probe up to a second position where the probe is not influenced by atomic force with respect to the sample surface so that a plurality of data characteristics can be acquired during the movement of the probe. Also, a second feature of the present invention is featured by that the probe is vibrated at a first frequency (first frequency>second frequency) which is resonated, or forcibly vibrated with the probe.
In accordance with the present invention, since the probe can be periodically and relatively moved from a position where the probe is separated from the sample up to another position where the probe is depressed into this sample with respect to the sample, plural sorts of physical information of the sample can be acquired while the probe is moved within 1 time period. Also, since the information acquired within this 1 time period can be used as the information about one pixel, this scanning operation by the probe is extended over the entire check region of the sample. As a consequence, the plural sorts of physical information of this sample can be acquired during one scanning operation (one pass). Also, since the resultant plural sorts of physical information are acquired from the same point of the sample, these plural sorts of physical information own relative relations with each other, which may contain valuable information.
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patent: 5742172 (1998-04-01), Yasutake
patent: 5744799 (1998-04-01), Ohara
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Fujihira Masamichi
Miyatani Tatsuya
Sakuhara Toshihiko
Watanabe Kazutoshi
Yasutake Masatoshi
Adams & Wilks
Anderson Bruce C.
Seiko Instruments Inc.
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