A method of operating an atomic force microscope (AFM) is provided. The method includes inspecting a sample by using the AFM and inspecting a tip of a probe of the AFM by using a characterization sample. The characterization sample includes a first characterization pattern that includes a line and space pattern of a first height, a second characterization pattern that includes a line and space pattern of a second height that is lower than the first height, and a third characterization pattern that includes a line and space pattern of a third height that is lower than the second height, and includes a rough surface.

A substrate (101) is etched by etching processing with crystal anisotropy, thereby forming a recess (104) from the main surface of the substrate (101) to the inside of the substrate (101). A side surface (105) is almost a (111) plane, and the etching hardly progresses. As a result, a cross section of the recess (104) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has a rectangular shape. Since an opening (103) of a mask pattern (102) has a rectangular shape in a planar view, the opening of the recess (104) has a rectangular shape in a planar view, and the recess (104) is formed into, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The recess (104) includes a side surface (105) that forms one plane perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate (101). The side surface (105) is a facet surface and is a tilting surface tilted from the (111) plane.

A substrate (101) is etched by etching processing with crystal anisotropy, thereby forming a recess (104) from the main surface of the substrate (101) to the inside of the substrate (101). A side surface (105) is almost a (111) plane, and the etching hardly progresses. As a result, a cross section of the recess (104) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has a rectangular shape. Since an opening (103) of a mask pattern (102) has a rectangular shape in a planar view, the opening of the recess (104) has a rectangular shape in a planar view, and the recess (104) is formed into, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The recess (104) includes a side surface (105) that forms one plane perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate (101). The side surface (105) is a facet surface and is a tilting surface tilted from the (111) plane.

A method of operating an atomic force microscope (AFM) is provided. The method includes inspecting a sample by using the AFM and inspecting a tip of a probe of the AFM by using a characterization sample. The characterization sample includes a first characterization pattern that includes a line and space pattern of a first height, a second characterization pattern that includes a line and space pattern of a second height that is lower than the first height, and a third characterization pattern that includes a line and space pattern of a third height that is lower than the second height, and includes a rough surface.

The present disclosure relates to a method of operating an SPM system including a landing procedure. The landing procedure comprises a first landing stage including a first translation over a first actuation distance by a coarse translation means to bring a probe tip held by an SPM head from an initial separation from a substrate to be probed to a second, more proximal, separation as defined by a characteristic transitional response of the probe tip in proximity to the substrate. Following the first stage a second translation is applied, over a second actuation distance by a fine translation means under feedback control to bring the probe tip to a working separation. Prior to applying the first (coarse) actuation distance an initial optical distance is determined which is indicative of the initial separation, using a detector, preferably a mark sensor. The measured initial optical distance is related to a reference distance so as to determine a deviation. The first actuation distance corresponds the reference distance and the deviation. The disclosure also relates to an SPM system and software product arranged to implement the landing method.

The present disclosure relates to a method of operating an SPM system including a landing procedure. The landing procedure comprises a first landing stage including a first translation over a first actuation distance by a coarse translation means to bring a probe tip held by an SPM head from an initial separation from a substrate to be probed to a second, more proximal, separation as defined by a characteristic transitional response of the probe tip in proximity to the substrate. Following the first stage a second translation is applied, over a second actuation distance by a fine translation means under feedback control to bring the probe tip to a working separation. Prior to applying the first (coarse) actuation distance an initial optical distance is determined which is indicative of the initial separation, using a detector, preferably a mark sensor. The measured initial optical distance is related to a reference distance so as to determine a deviation. The first actuation distance corresponds the reference distance and the deviation. The disclosure also relates to an SPM system and software product arranged to implement the landing method.

The present invention discloses a reference sample suitable to calibrate a magnetic microscope's probe tip and a calibration method. The reference sample is a magnetic micro-nanostructure made of a magnetic material and formed on the surface of a substrate material, has at least one group of magnetic micro-nano structures composed of a plurality of substructures, and can generate a magnetic field with a specific spatial distribution on the surface of the sample. The reference sample is used to calibrate a magnetic microscope's probe tip. The magnetic material is configured to provide magnetic micro-nano structures that contain a variety of spatial feature size patterns, which can generate a stable magnetic field with specific spatial distribution on the sample surface. The present invention can broaden the spatial frequency range for calibrating the magnetic probe and realize the quantitative measurement to magnetic fields on the surface of different magnetic micro-nano structures.

The present invention discloses a reference sample suitable to calibrate a magnetic microscope's probe tip and a calibration method. The reference sample is a magnetic micro-nanostructure made of a magnetic material and formed on the surface of a substrate material, has at least one group of magnetic micro-nano structures composed of a plurality of substructures, and can generate a magnetic field with a specific spatial distribution on the surface of the sample. The reference sample is used to calibrate a magnetic microscope's probe tip. The magnetic material is configured to provide magnetic micro-nano structures that contain a variety of spatial feature size patterns, which can generate a stable magnetic field with specific spatial distribution on the sample surface. The present invention can broaden the spatial frequency range for calibrating the magnetic probe and realize the quantitative measurement to magnetic fields on the surface of different magnetic micro-nano structures.

A method of assessing a probe by measuring a known sample whose shape is known with the probe in an electronic microscope, the known sample having a projection part on a surface thereof, and the projection part having a shape tapered toward a vertex thereof, the method comprising a step of measuring circle equivalent radius of the projection part, a step of comparing the circle equivalent radius with a first threshold value, and a step of determining that the probe is satisfactory when the width is less than the first threshold value, and a step of determining that the probe is unsatisfactory when the width is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.

A method of assessing a probe by measuring a known sample whose shape is known with the probe in an electronic microscope, the known sample having a projection part on a surface thereof, and the projection part having a shape tapered toward a vertex thereof, the method comprising a step of measuring circle equivalent radius of the projection part, a step of comparing the circle equivalent radius with a first threshold value, and a step of determining that the probe is satisfactory when the width is less than the first threshold value, and a step of determining that the probe is unsatisfactory when the width is equal to or greater than the first threshold value.