A holding member, a sample container, and a mounting member are used in a scanning probe microscope. The mounting member is made of an elastically deformable material such as a rubber material. The mounting member includes an annular main body. When the mounting member is mounted on the holding member and the sample container, the holding member is inserted into the sample container while the main body of the mounting member is elastically deformed along an outer circumferential surface of the sample container. One end of the mounting member is detached from the outer circumferential surface of the sample container, and brought into close contact with an outer circumferential surface of the holding member. When the holding member and the sample container are relatively moved, the main body of the mounting member is elastically deformed.

A scanning probe microscope includes a case, an actuator, at least one elastic body, and a probe. The actuator includes a piezoelectric scanner having a cylindrical shape and a sample holder. The piezoelectric scanner is disposed inside the case to be coaxial with the case such that the first end is fixed to the bottom portion. The sample holder is provided at a second end of the piezoelectric scanner. At least one elastic body is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the case and at least one of the piezoelectric scanner and the sample holder.

A scanning probe microscope includes a position change unit that relatively changes positions of a fixed end of a cantilever and a surface of a sample S in a Z direction, a deflection amount measurement unit that measures a deflection amount of the cantilever, a Z direction movement distance detector that detects a movement distance in the Z direction while the fixed end is relatively moved with respect to the surface of the sample S from a predetermined initial position until a tip of a probe comes into contact with the surface of the sample S and the deflection amount becomes a predetermined value, and an initial position change unit that changes the initial position to a position further away from the surface of the sample S when the movement distance is below a predetermined lower limit.

An AFM that suppress parasitic deflection signals is described. In particular, the AFM may use a cantilever with a probe tip that is offset along a lateral direction from a longitudinal axis of torsion of the cantilever. During AFM measurements, an actuator may vary a distance between the sample and the probe tip along a direction approximately perpendicular to a plane of the sample stage in an intermittent contact mode. Then, a measurement circuit may measure a lateral signal associated with a torsional mode of the cantilever during the AFM measurements. This lateral signal may correspond to a force between the sample and the probe tip. Moreover, a feedback circuit may maintain, relative to a threshold value: the force between the sample and the probe tip; and/or a deflection of the cantilever corresponding to the force. Next, the AFM may determine information about the sample based on the lateral signal.

When a liquid surface is detected based on a detection signal from a photodetector during the approaching operation, a photodetector movement processor moves the photodetector to a position where reflected light from a cantilever is incident with the cantilever being in liquid. When the reflected light from the cantilever is incident on the photodetector during the approaching operation continued after the movement of the photodetector by the photodetector movement processor, an optical axis adjustment processor adjusts an optical axis of the reflected light incident on the photodetector. When a surface of a solid sample is detected based on a detection signal from the photodetector during the approaching operation continued after the adjustment of the optical axis by the optical axis adjustment processor, an approaching processor stops the approaching operation.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides systems and methods for generating nanostructures from tribological films. A probe tip can be immersed in a liquid mixture comprising a plurality of ink particles suspended in a medium. A substrate on which the tribological film is to be generated can also be immersed in the liquid mixture. A processor controlling movement of the probe tip can be configured to cause the probe tip to slide along the substrate in a shape of a desired pattern of the nanostructure with a contact force to cause one or more ink particles of the plurality of ink particles compressed underneath the probe tip to be transformed into a tribological film onto the substrate in the shape of the desired pattern of the nanostructure.

An improved mode of AFM imaging (Peak Force Tapping (PFT) Mode) uses force as the feedback variable to reduce tip-sample interaction forces while maintaining scan speeds achievable by all existing AFM operating modes. Sample imaging and mechanical property mapping are achieved with improved resolution and high sample throughput, with the mode workable across varying environments, including gaseous, fluidic and vacuum.

Methods and apparatuses are provided for automatically controlling and stabilizing aspects of a scanning probe microscope (SPM), such as an atomic force microscope (AFM), using Peak Force Tapping (PFT) Mode. In an embodiment, a controller automatically controls periodic motion of a probe relative to a sample in response to a substantially instantaneous force determined and automatically controls a gain in a feedback loop. A gain control circuit automatically tunes a gain based on separation distances between a probe and a sample to facilitate stability. Accordingly, instability onset is quickly and accurately determined during scanning, thereby eliminating the need of expert user tuning of gains during operation.

An alignment system (100) and method for positioning and/or keeping a first object (1) at a controlled distanced (D1) with respect to a second object (2). An object stage (11) is configured to hold a surface (1a) of the first object (1) at a distance (D1) over a surface (2a) of the second object (2). A sensor device (31) comprising a probe tip (31a) is connected at a predetermined probe level distance (Dp) relative to the surface (1a) of the first object (1). The probe tip (31a) is configured to perform an atomic force measurement (AFM) of a force (F1) exerted via the probe tip (31a) on a surface (2a) of the second object (2). A controller (80) is configured to control an object stage actuator (21) as a function of the probe level distance (Dp) and the measured force (F1) to maintain the controlled distanced (D1).

A scanning probe microscope with a first actuator (3) configured to move a feature in the form of a tip (2) so that the feature follows a scanning motion. A vision system (10) is configured to collect light from a field of view to generate image data. The field of view includes the feature and the light from the field of view travels from the feature to the vision system via the steering element (13). A tracking control system (15)bis configured to generate one or more tracking drive signals in accordance with stored reference data. A second actuator (14) is configured to receive the one or more tracking drive signals and move the steering element on the basis of the one or more tracking drive signals so that the field of view follows a tracking motion which is synchronous with the scanning motion and the feature remains within the field of view. An image analysis system (20) is configured to analyse the image data from the vision system to identify the feature and measure an apparent motion of the feature relative to the field of view. A calibration system is configured to adjust the stored reference data based on the apparent motion measured by the image analysis system.