To enhance the measurement sensitivity of a scanning probe microscope. In a cross sectional view, a cantilever includes a vertex portion that is a portion close to a sample and is covered by a metallic film, a ridge that is connected to the vertex portion and is covered by the metallic film, and an upper corner portion that is connected to the ridge. Here, the upper corner portion and a part of the ridge are portions to be irradiated with excitation light emitted from a light source of the scanning probe microscope.

A multi-functional scanning probe microscopy nanoprobe may include a cantilever, a tapered structure formed on a surface of the cantilever from a first material, and a nanopillar formed on an apex of the tapered structure from a second material. One of the first and second materials may exhibit ferromagnetism and the other may have greater electrical conductivity. A method of simultaneous multi-mode operation during scanning probe microscopy may include scanning a sample with the nanoprobe in contact with the sample to produce a current measurement indicative of an electric current flowing through the sample and a height measurement indicative of a topography of the sample and, thereafter, scanning the sample with the nanoprobe oscillating about a lift height derived from the height measurement to produce a deflection measurement (e.g. phase shift) indicative of a magnetic force between the sample and the nanoprobe.

A cantilever (30) for an ultrasound acoustic microscopy device is provided comprising a transmission tip (31) to contact a sample (11) to therewith transmit an ultrasound acoustic signal as an ultrasound acoustic wave into the sample. The cantilever further comprises a reception tip (32) separate from the transmission tip (31) to contact the sample to receive an acoustic signal resulting from reflections of the ultrasound wave from within the sample.

A cantilever (30) for an ultrasound acoustic microscopy device is provided comprising a transmission tip (31) to contact a sample (11) to therewith transmit an ultrasound acoustic signal as an ultrasound acoustic wave into the sample. The cantilever further comprises a reception tip (32) separate from the transmission tip (31) to contact the sample to receive an acoustic signal resulting from reflections of the ultrasound wave from within the sample.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to methods for measuring a characteristic of a substrate. In an embodiment, the method includes scanning over the substrate with a scanning probe microscope, the substrate having fins thereon, the scanning obtaining images showing respective fin top regions of the fins, the scanning probe microscope interacting with respective portions of sidewalls of the fins by a scanning probe oscillated during the scanning, selecting images obtained at a predetermined depth below the fin top regions to obtain a line edge profile of the fins, by a processor-based system, analyzing the line edge profile of the fins using power spectral density (PSD) method to obtain spatial frequency data of the line edge profile of the fins, and by the processor-based system, calculating line edge roughness of the fins based on the spatial frequency data.

A torsional probe for a metrology instrument includes a cantilever coupled to a support structure via a torsion bar. The cantilever, support structure, and arms of torsion bar have substantially the same thickness. A method of manufacture of the torsion probe, as well as a method of using the torsion probe to measure photothermal induced surface displacement of a sample are also described.

The present disclosure provides a tip-enhanced Raman spectroscope system. The system includes a laser emitting unit, a laser excitation unit, a first dichroic beam splitter, a first Raman spectrometer, and a confocal detecting unit. The laser excitation unit includes a sample stage and a first scanning probe. The sample stage is configured to have a sample disposed thereon such that a first incident laser beam emitted from the laser emitting unit is transmitted to the sample to excite first scattered light. The first dichroic beam splitter is configured to split a first Raman scattered light from the first Rayleigh scattered light. The first Raman spectrometer is disposed on a first Raman optical path of the first Raman scattered light. The confocal detecting unit is disposed on a first Rayleigh optical path of the first Rayleigh scattered light to image the sample.

The present disclosure provides a tip-enhanced Raman spectroscope system. The system includes a laser emitting unit, a laser excitation unit, a first dichroic beam splitter, a first Raman spectrometer, and a confocal detecting unit. The laser excitation unit includes a sample stage and a first scanning probe. The sample stage is configured to have a sample disposed thereon such that a first incident laser beam emitted from the laser emitting unit is transmitted to the sample to excite first scattered light. The first dichroic beam splitter is configured to split a first Raman scattered light from the first Rayleigh scattered light. The first Raman spectrometer is disposed on a first Raman optical path of the first Raman scattered light. The confocal detecting unit is disposed on a first Rayleigh optical path of the first Rayleigh scattered light to image the sample.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to methods for measuring a characteristic of a substrate. In an embodiment, the method includes scanning over the substrate with a scanning probe microscope, the substrate having fins thereon, the scanning obtaining images showing respective fin top regions of the fins, the scanning probe microscope interacting with respective portions of sidewalls of the fins by a scanning probe oscillated during the scanning, selecting images obtained at a predetermined depth below the fin top regions to obtain a line edge profile of the fins, by a processor-based system, analyzing the line edge profile of the fins using power spectral density (PSD) method to obtain spatial frequency data of the line edge profile of the fins, and by the processor-based system, calculating line edge roughness of the fins based on the spatial frequency data.

A micromechanical sensor includes a movable micromechanical element and an optical resonator of disk or ring type, wherein the optical resonator has at least one interruption; and in that the movable micromechanical element is mechanically coupled to the optical resonator in such a way that a movement of the movable micromechanical element induces a modification of the width of the interruption of the optical resonator by moving at least one edge of the interruption in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of propagation of the light in the resonator at the interruption.