Sample vessel retention structure for scanning probe microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10175263-B2
Application number	US-201615739094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2016
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

A sample vessel retention mechanism for an inverted microscope having an optical objective and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) head. The inverted microscope includes a platform for supporting a sample vessel, in which is formed an aperture sized to provide a passage for the objective of the inverted microscope to approach the sample vessel from below. The retention mechanism provides a vacuum region formed in the platform, with the vacuum region being barometrically coupled with a vacuum generator. Establishment of a vacuum in the vacuum region prevents or substantially reduces oscillation of the sample vessel floor in an operating frequency range of the SPM head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sample vessel retention mechanism for an inverted microscope having an optical objective and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) head that includes a SPM probe and control system configured to perform scanning of a sample in the sample vessel, the SPM head operably producing a controlled motion of the SPM probe utilizing a control system, the controlled motion tracking the sample surface within an operating bandwidth, the sample vessel retention mechanism comprising:
a platform for supporting a sample vessel, the platform providing a surface above which a sample vessel is situated during operation of the SPM head;
an aperture formed in the platform, the aperture being sized to provide a passage for the objective of the inverted microscope to approach the sample vessel from below; and
at least one vacuum region having a boundary that includes a floor of the sample vessel and the surface of the platform, each of the at least one vacuum region being barometrically coupled with a vacuum generator to facilitate a working vacuum within that vacuum region by operation of the vacuum generator;
wherein the at least one vacuum region includes at least a portion situated substantially proximate the aperture, such that, during operation of the SPM head producing the motion, the working vacuum causes the floor of the sample vessel to be substantially isolated from any acoustic excitation within the operating bandwidth resulting from the controlled motion of the SPM probe.

2. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vacuum region includes an inner seal situated proximately to the aperture and a distal seal situated distally relative to the aperture, the inner and the distal seals each being arranged to maintain intimate contact with the floor of the sample vessel to enclose the vacuum region.

3. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the at least one vacuum region is a single vacuum region that has an annular cross-section in a reference plane parallel to the surface.

4. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one vacuum region includes a vacuum channel having an annular cross-section in a reference plane parallel to the surface.

5. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the inner seal and the distal seal includes an O-ring.

6. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the inner seal and the distal seal includes an machined surface formed on the platform.

7. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the distal seal includes a single continuous seal.

8. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the inner seal is situated at a fixed radial distance from a reference central axis passing through the center of the aperture and oriented along an optical axis of the objective.

9. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the inner seal is situated at a maximum radial distance from a reference central axis passing through the center of the aperture and oriented along an optical axis of the objective, the maximum radial distance being no greater than one-half of the radius of the aperture.

10. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the inner seal is situated at a maximum radial distance from a reference central axis passing through the center of the aperture and oriented along an optical axis of the objective, the maximum radial distance being no greater than 20 percent of the radius of the aperture.

11. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the inner seal is situated at a maximum radial distance from a reference central axis passing through the center of the aperture and oriented along an optical axis of the objective, the maximum radial distance being no greater than 10 percent of the radius of the aperture.

12. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the inner seal is aligned with a radius of the aperture relative to a reference central axis passing through the center of the aperture and oriented along an optical axis of the objective.

13. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the distal seal is situated at a fixed radial distance from a reference central axis passing through the center of the aperture and oriented along an optical axis of the objective.

14. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the distal seal is situated at a minimum radial distance from a reference central axis passing through the center of the aperture and oriented along an optical axis of the objective, the minimum radial distance being at least 90 percent of the radius of the sample vessel.

15. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the platform is arranged such that the sample vessel floor includes at least one portion that is not a vacuum region boundary, each of the at least one portion being smaller in area than the aperture.

16. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vacuum region includes a plurality of vacuum channels formed in the platform, including a first set of vacuum channels situated substantially proximate the aperture.

17. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 16 , wherein the at least one vacuum region further includes a second set of vacuum channels having a maximum spacing between neighboring vacuum channels and a periphery of the sample vessel, the maximum spacing being smaller than the diameter of the aperture.

18. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vacuum region includes a plurality of vacuum channels formed in the platform and spaced apart from one another by a distance that is smaller than the diameter of the aperture.

19. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein during the operation of the SPM head, establishment of the working vacuum causes a resonant frequency of the sample vessel floor to be higher than the operating bandwidth of the controlled motion of the SPM probe.

20. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the sample vessel is a petri dish.

21. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the objective of the inverted microscope has a numerical aperture greater than 0.2.

22. The sample vessel retention mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the objective of the inverted microscope has a numerical aperture greater than 0.5.

23. An inverted microscope comprising:
an optical objective;
a scanning probe microscope (SPM) head that includes a SPM probe configured to perform scanning of a sample in a sample vessel, the SPM probe operably producing motion having an oscillatory component at an operating frequency range;
a sample vessel retention mechanism that includes:
a platform for supporting a sample vessel, the platform providing a surface above which a sample vessel is situated during operation of the SPM head;
an aperture formed in the platform, the aperture being sized to provide a passage for the objective of the inverted microscope to approach the sample vessel from below; and
at least one vacuum region having a boundary that includes a floor of the sample vessel and the surface of the platform, each of the at least one vacuum region being barometrically coupled with a vacuum generator to facilitate a working vacuum within that vacuum region by operation of the vacuum generator;

wherein the a

Assignees

• Bruker Nano Inc

Inventors

• Meyer Charles
• Hu Shuiqing
• Shaw James
• Su Chanmin

Classifications

• G01Q30/20 Primary

  Sample handling devices or methods · CPC title

• G01Q30/16

  Vacuum environment · CPC title

• G02B21/02

  Objectives · CPC title

• G02B21/26

  Stages; Adjusting means therefor · CPC title

• G01Q30/14

  Liquid environment · CPC title