586 results about "Atomic force microscopy" patented technology

A harmonic cantilever for use in a tapping-mode atomic force microscope includes a cantilever arm and a probe tip. The cantilever arm has a shape selected to tune the fundamental resonance frequency or a resonance frequency of a selected higher order mode so that the fundamental and higher-order resonance frequencies have an integer ratio or near integer ratio. In one embodiment, the cantilever arm can be shaped to tune the fundamental resonance frequency. Alternately, the cantilever arm can include a geometric feature for tuning the resonance frequency of the fundamental mode or the selected higher order mode. An imaging method using the harmonic cantilever is disclosed whereby signals at the higher harmonics are measured to determine the material properties of a sample. In other embodiment, a cantilever includes a probe tip positioned at a location of minimum displacement of unwanted harmonics for suppressing signals associated with the unwanted harmonics.

A cantilever for the use in atomic force microscopy includes a cantilever arm having a fixed end being attached to a base member and a free end where the cantilever arm has a first shape and an axis of torsion associated with the first shape, and a probe tip projecting from the cantilever arm near the free end where the probe tip is positioned in an offset displacement from the axis of torsion. Alternately, the cantilever arm has a first shape selected to tune a torsional resonance frequency of a selected torsional mode or the fundamental flexural resonance frequency of the fundamental mode so that the torsional resonance frequency and the fundamental flexural resonance frequency has an integer ratio. In this manner, the torsional motion of the torsional harmonic cantilever at that harmonic frequency will be largely enhanced by the corresponding torsional resonance.

The invention provides a liquid cell for an atomic force microscope. The liquid cell includes a liquid cell housing with an internal cavity to contain a fluid, a plurality of conductive feedthroughs traversing the liquid cell housing between the internal cavity and a dry side of the liquid cell, a cantilevered probe coupled to the liquid cell housing, and a piezoelectric drive element disposed on the cantilevered probe. The cantilevered probe is actuated when a drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric drive element through at least one of the conductive feedthroughs. A method of imaging an object in a liquid medium and a method of sensing a target species with the liquid cell are also disclosed.

A method for using a neural network to deconvolute the effects due to surface topography from the effects due to the other physical property being measured in a scanning probe microscopy (SPM) or atomic force microscopy (AFM) image. In the case of a thermal SPM, the SPM probe is scanned across the surface of a sample having known uniform thermal properties, measuring both the surface topography and thermal properties of the sample. The data thus collected forms a training data set. Several training data sets can be collected, preferably on samples having different surface topographies. A neural network is applied to the training data sets, such that the neural network learns how to deconvolute the effects dues to surface topography from the effects dues to the variations in thermal properties of a sample.

A cantilever for the use in atomic force microscopy includes a cantilever arm having a fixed end being attached to a base member and a free end where the cantilever arm has a first shape and an axis of torsion associated with the first shape, and a probe tip projecting from the cantilever arm near the free end where the probe tip is positioned in an offset displacement from the axis of torsion. Alternately, the cantilever arm has a first shape selected to tune a torsional resonance frequency of a selected torsional mode or the fundamental flexural resonance frequency of the fundamental mode so that the torsional resonance frequency and the fundamental flexural resonance frequency has an integer ratio. In this manner, the torsional motion of the torsional harmonic cantilever at that harmonic frequency will be largely enhanced by the corresponding torsional resonance.

The invention relates to a non-aperture tip enhanced Raman scattering probe and a manufacturing method thereof, belonging to the field of near-field Raman spectroscopy detection technology. The non-aperture tip enhanced Raman scattering probe is characterized in that the surface of the traditional Raman scattering probe is provided with 3-20 tiny tips, the diameter of the tiny tips is 5-25 nm, and the curvature radius of the tiny tips is 2-15 nm. In the invention, a scanning probe microscopy / atomic force microscopy (SPM / AFM) probe with a noble metal film layer is selected, a carbon layer is deposited on the noble metal film layer, and excess carbon layers are removed by washing after the impact of an argon ion beam. The manufactured non-aperture tip enhanced Raman scattering probe has great application potential in the fields of trace analysis, qualitative detection even single-molecule detection and the like.

A scanning probe microscope detects or induces changes in a probe-sample interaction. In imaging mode, the probe 54 is brought into a contact distance of the sample 12 and the strength of the interaction measured as the probe 54 and sample surface are scanned relative to each other. Image collection is rapidly performed by carrying out a relative translation of the sample 12 and probe 54 whilst one or other is oscillated at or near its resonant frequency. In a preferred embodiment the interaction is monitored by means of capacitance developed at an interface between a metallic probe and the sample. In lithographic mode, an atomic force microscope is adapted to write information to a sample surface.

A noncontact IC tag 1 comprises a base film 11, a noncontact IC circuit 2, 3 formed on the base film 11, and a plastic film or paper serving as a surfacing sheet 4, having a non-conductive, lustrous metal film 6m formed by deposition, laminated to the base film 11 on the side of the noncontact IC tag circuit 2, 3. The surface roughness of the non-conductive, lustrous metal film 6m, determined by atomic force microscopy, is more than 10 nm and 100 nm or less as indicated by the center line average height Ra. In the case where the non-conductive, lustrous metal film 6m is formed on the outer surface of the surfacing sheet 4, a concealing layer 4a may further be formed on the inner surface of the surfacing sheet 4 in order to enhance concealing properties.

Apparatus and techniques for extracting information carried in higher eigenmodes or harmonics of an oscillating cantilever or other oscillating sensors in atomic force microscopy and related MEMs work are described. Similar apparatus and techniques for extracting information using contact resonance with multiple excitation signals are also described.

A full metal probe and a method of making the metal probe for electrical atomic force microscopy. In one embodiment, the method comprises manufacturing the full metal probe using two lithography steps. The step of etching thin membranes is dropped or eliminated to substantially reduce the processing time. Thus, topside processing is sufficient. The probe and tip can be peeled off from the wafer using a metallization procedure.

The invention relates to a device for detecting the roundness of an arc of a tool tip of a diamond tool with an arc edge, which belongs to the technical field of the detection of the roundness of thearc of the tool tip of the diamond tool. The device can solve the problem that the existing device for detecting the roundness of the arc of the tool tip of the diamond tool with the arc edge has theshortcomings of low detection precision and inability of meeting the requirement for the high-precision measurement of the roundness of the arc of the tool tip. The device consists of an atomic forcemicroscopy system, a single-chip microcomputer controller, a measurement control computer, a two-dimensional precision displacement workbench and a rotary shaft system, wherein the rotary shaft systemis arranged on the two-dimensional precision displacement workbench, the measurement control computer is used for displaying detection data and outputting a control signal to the single-chip microcomputer controller for controlling the rotation of the rotary shaft system, the relative position of the rotary shaft system and a scanning probe of the atomic force microscopy system is regulated through the two-dimensional precision displacement workbench, and the signal detected by the scanning probe is transferred from the controller in the atomic force microscopy system to the control computerfor monitoring. The device is used for detecting the roundness of the arc of the tool tip of the diamond tool.