A debris collection and metrology system for collecting and analyzing debris from a tip used in nanomachining processes, the system including an irradiation source, an irradiation detector, an actuator, and a controller. The irradiation source is operable to direct incident irradiation onto the tip, and the irradiation detector is operable to receive a sample irradiation from the tip, the sample irradiation being generated as a result of the direct incident irradiation being applied onto the tip. The controller is operatively coupled to an actuator system and the irradiation detector, and the controller is operable to receive a first signal based on a first response of the irradiation detector to the sample irradiation, and the controller is operable to effect relative motion between the tip and at least one of the irradiation source and the irradiation detector based on the first signal.

Provided is a probe configured to detect a near field, the probe including a probe substrate having a tip region at an end portion of the probe substrate, a width of the tip region being less than a width of a remaining region of the probe substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on a surface of the probe substrate, the first electrode and the second electrode being spaced apart from each other and extending from the tip region along the probe substrate, an emitter and a detector disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the emitter and the detector being spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the probe substrate extends, and being configured to be photo switched, and a reflector disposed above the emitter and the detector in the direction in which the probe substrate extends opposite to the tip region, and configured to reflect an electromagnetic wave emitted from the emitter.

Provided is a probe configured to detect a near field, the probe including a probe substrate having a tip region at an end portion of the probe substrate, a width of the tip region being less than a width of a remaining region of the probe substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode disposed on a surface of the probe substrate, the first electrode and the second electrode being spaced apart from each other and extending from the tip region along the probe substrate, an emitter and a detector disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the emitter and the detector being spaced apart from each other in a direction in which the probe substrate extends, and being configured to be photo switched, and a reflector disposed above the emitter and the detector in the direction in which the probe substrate extends opposite to the tip region, and configured to reflect an electromagnetic wave emitted from the emitter.

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.

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.

An atomic force microscope includes a sample stage on which a sample is placed, a cantilever including a probe tip, a laser radiating a laser beam to the cantilever, a photodetector receiving a laser beam reflected from the cantilever, a first camera photographing the sample and the cantilever, a second camera photographing the cantilever and the spot of the laser beam, and a processor electrically connected to the first and second cameras and the photodetector to process data acquired by the first and second cameras and the photodetector. An operation method of the atomic force microscope includes detecting the positions of the cantilever and the sample using the first camera, adjusting the position of the sample, detecting the positions of the laser and the cantilever using the second camera, aligning the laser, detecting the position of the laser beam using the photodetector, and aligning the position of the photodetector.

An atomic force microscope includes a sample stage on which a sample is placed, a cantilever including a probe tip, a laser radiating a laser beam to the cantilever, a photodetector receiving a laser beam reflected from the cantilever, a first camera photographing the sample and the cantilever, a second camera photographing the cantilever and the spot of the laser beam, and a processor electrically connected to the first and second cameras and the photodetector to process data acquired by the first and second cameras and the photodetector. An operation method of the atomic force microscope includes detecting the positions of the cantilever and the sample using the first camera, adjusting the position of the sample, detecting the positions of the laser and the cantilever using the second camera, aligning the laser, detecting the position of the laser beam using the photodetector, and aligning the position of the photodetector.

A truncated non-linear interferometer-based sensor system includes an input that receives an optical beam and a non-linear amplifier that generates a probe beam and a conjugate beam from the optical beam. The system's local oscillators are related to the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The system includes a sensor that transduces an input with the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The transduction detects changes in the phase of each of the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The system's phase sensitive detectors detect phase modulations between the respective local oscillators, the probe beam, and the conjugate beam and outputs phase signals based on detected phase modulations. The system measures phase signals indicative of the sensor's input resulting from a sum or difference of the phase signals. The measurement exhibits a quantum noise reduction in an intensity difference, a phase sum, or an amplitude difference quadrature.

A truncated non-linear interferometer-based sensor system includes an input that receives an optical beam and a non-linear amplifier that generates a probe beam and a conjugate beam from the optical beam. The system's local oscillators are related to the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The system includes a sensor that transduces an input with the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The transduction detects changes in the phase of each of the probe beam and the conjugate beam. The system's phase sensitive detectors detect phase modulations between the respective local oscillators, the probe beam, and the conjugate beam and outputs phase signals based on detected phase modulations. The system measures phase signals indicative of the sensor's input resulting from a sum or difference of the phase signals. The measurement exhibits a quantum noise reduction in an intensity difference, a phase sum, or an amplitude difference quadrature.

A device capable of simultaneous independent motion measurement of multiple probes in an atomic force microscope includes at least two cantilever arms arranged in parallel. The end of each cantilever arm is provided with a needle tip. The surface of each cantilever arm is provided with a grating structure with a periodic distribution rule for reflecting laser irradiated on the grating structure and receiving the laser through reflected light detectors. The discrimination and motion measurement includes the steps of irradiating the measurement laser of different wavelengths on the back surfaces of multiple probes through the same light path at the same time, adopting the grating structures of different feature sizes as physical labels of the multiple probes and reflecting high-order reflected light of the laser of different wavelengths by the grating structures at different angles to separate the light path.