A high-precision scanning device (1) comprises a first linear scanner (11) for providing scanning movements along a first linear scanning axis (21). The first linear scanner comprises a first base frame (31), a first scanning frame (41), two mutually parallel first piezoelectric bending plates (51A, 51B), and two first hinge joints (61A, 61B) having two first hinge axes (71A, 71B), respectively. Under influence of synchronic piezoelectric operation of the two first piezoelectric bending plates, the first scanning frame is being synchronically moved relative to the first base frame along said first linear scanning axis. The scanning device is compact, especially nearby the working areas where the precise scanning movements have to be performed, so that the device can be operable in very tiny working areas.

The present document relates to a scanning probe microscopy system and method for mapping nanostructures on the surface of a sample. The system comprises a sample support structure, a scan head including a probe comprising a cantilever and a probe tip, and an actuator for scanning the probe tip relative to the sample surface. The system also includes an optical source, and a sensor unit for obtaining a sensor signal indicative of a position of the probe tip. The sensor unit includes a partially reflecting element for reflecting a reference fraction and for transmitting a sensing fraction of the optical signal. It further includes directional optics for directing the sensing fraction as an optical beam towards the probe tip, and for receiving a reflected fraction thereof to provide a sensed signal. Moreover the sensor includes an interferometer for providing one or more output signals, and signal conveyance optics for conveying the sensed signal and the reference signal to the interferometer. The directional optics is configured for directing the sensing fraction such that at least a part of the sensing fraction is reflected by the probe tip such as to form the reflected fraction.

A substrate cleaning method which can determine an appropriate replacement time of a cleaning tool is disclosed. The substrate cleaning method includes: rubbing a cleaning tool against a substrate in the presence of a cleaning liquid while supplying the cleaning liquid onto the substrate to thereby clean a surface of the substrate; acquiring surface data representing surface properties of the cleaning tool in a wet condition by use of an atomic force microscope after performing cleaning of the surfaces of a predetermined number of substrates; and comparing the surface data with a predetermined threshold to thereby determine a replacement time of the cleaning tool.

A scanning probe microscope includes a light source, a detector, a housing, an opening and closing door, an opening and closing sensor, a control unit, and the like. The opening and closing door is provided in the housing. The control unit 16 also functions as the light intensity change processing unit 164. In the scanning probe microscope, when the opening and closing sensor detects opening and closing of the opening and closing door, the light intensity change processing unit automatically changes the intensity of light irradiated from the light source based on a detection result of the opening and closing sensor. Therefore, it is possible to omit light intensity adjustment work performed manually by the user. As a result, the workability of the user when using the scanning probe microscope 1 can be improved.

An atomic force microscope includes a raster scan control mechanism configured to perform a raster scan between a cantilever having a probe at a free end and a sample relative to each other across an XY plane in a fluid, an interaction control mechanism configured to vibrate the cantilever and to control an interaction generated between the probe and the sample, and a sample information acquisition circuit configured to acquire sample information including inclination information of a sample surface with respect to the XY plane based on a control result of the interaction control mechanism. The interaction control mechanism is configured to control the interaction generated between the probe and the sample in accordance with inclination of the sample surface with respect to the XY plane.

A scanning probe system with a probe comprising a cantilever extending from a base to a free end, and a probe tip carried by the free end of the cantilever. A first driver is provided with a first driver input, the first driver arranged to drive the probe in accordance with a first drive signal at the first driver input. A second driver is provided with a second driver input, the second driver arranged to drive the probe in accordance with a second drive signal at the second driver input. A control system is arranged to control the first drive signal so that the first driver drives the base of the cantilever repeatedly towards and away from a surface of a sample in a series of cycles. A surface detector arranged to generate a surface signal for each cycle when it detects an interaction of the probe tip with the surface of the sample. The control system is also arranged to modify the second drive signal in response to receipt of the surface signal from the surface detector, the modification of the second drive signal causing the second driver to control the probe tip.

An apparatus and method of operating an atomic force profiler (AFP), such as an AFM, using a feedforward control signal in subsequent scan lines of a large area sample to achieve large throughput advantages in, for example, automated applications.

A method of scanning a feature with a probe, the probe comprising a cantilever mount, a cantilever extending from the cantilever mount to a free end, and a probe tip carried by the free end of the cantilever. An orientation of the probe is measured relative to a reference surface to generate a probe orientation measurement. The reference surface defines a reference surface axis which is normal to the reference surface and the probe tip has a reference tilt angle relative to the reference surface axis. A shape of the cantilever is changed in accordance with the probe orientation measurement so that the probe tip moves relative to the cantilever mount and the reference tilt angle decreases from a first reference tilt angle to a second reference tilt angle. A sample surface is scanned with the probe, wherein the sample surface defines a sample surface axis which is normal to the sample surface and the probe tip has a scanning tilt angle relative to the sample surface axis. During the scanning of the sample surface the cantilever mount is moved so that the probe tip is inserted into a feature in the sample surface with the scanning tilt angle below the first reference tilt angle.

The present application relates to an apparatus for a scanning probe microscope, said apparatus having: (a) at least one first measuring probe having at least one first cantilever, the free end of which has a first measuring tip; (b) at least one first reflective area arranged in the region of the free end of the at least one first cantilever and embodied to reflect at least two light beams in different directions; and (c) at least two first interferometers embodied to use the at least two light beams reflected by the at least one first reflective area to determine the position of the first measuring tip.

A scanning probe system with a probe comprising a cantilever extending from a base to a free end, and a probe tip carried by the free end of the cantilever. A first driver is provided with a first driver input, the first driver arranged to drive the probe in accordance with a first drive signal at the first driver input. A second driver is provided with a second driver input, the second driver arranged to drive the probe in accordance with a second drive signal at the second driver input. A control system is arranged to control the first drive signal so that the first driver drives the base of the cantilever repeatedly towards and away from a surface of a sample in a series of cycles. A surface detector arranged to generate a surface signal for each cycle when it detects an interaction of the probe tip with the surface of the sample. The control system is also arranged to modify the second drive signal in response to receipt of the surface signal from the surface detector, the modification of the second drive signal causing the second driver to control the probe tip.