Scanning probe microscope and surface image correction method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10564183-B2
Application number	US-201816184013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 8, 2018
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

An inclination correcting processor performs an image process for correcting inclination of a surface image to a Z direction intersecting an X direction and a Y direction on the surface image of a sample which has been acquired from scanning by a scanning processor. The inclination correcting processor extracts a plurality of pixels from the surface image on a straight line along a predetermined direction and corrects inclination of the surface image based on luminance of the extracted pixels. In a case where correction is performed on the surface image of the sample having a flat surface at least in the one direction (P direction) intersecting the X direction and the Y direction, the inclination correcting processor performs the image process such that the predetermined direction (a direction of a straight line 28) substantially matches the one direction (P direction).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A scanning probe microscope comprising:
a cantilever that is relatively displaced along a surface of a sample;
a scanning processor that performs scanning by causing the cantilever to be relatively displaced with respect to the surface of the sample in both directions of an X direction and a Y direction which intersect each other; and
an inclination correcting processor that performs an image process for correcting inclination of a surface image to a Z direction intersecting the X direction and the Y direction on the surface image of the sample which has been acquired from scanning by the scanning processor,
wherein the inclination correcting processor extracts a plurality of pixels from the surface image on a straight line along a predetermined direction, corrects inclination of the surface image based on luminance of the extracted pixels, and performs an image process such that it is possible to extract the plurality of pixels along the one direction in a case where correction is performed on the surface image of the sample having a flat surface at least in the one direction intersecting the X direction and the Y direction.

2. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the correction is performed on the surface image of the sample having the flat surface at least in the one direction, the inclination correcting processor extracts the plurality of pixels which are oblique with respect to the X direction and the Y direction such that the predetermined direction substantially matches the one direction.

3. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an image display processor that rotates the surface image corrected by the inclination correcting processor, substantially matches the one direction to the X direction or the Y direction before rotation, and displays the surface image.

4. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where correction is performed on the surface image of the sample having the flat surface at least in the one direction, the inclination correcting processor extracts the plurality of pixels after the surface image is rotated such that the one direction substantially matches the predetermined direction.

5. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination correcting processor extracts the plurality of pixels from one end portion to another end portion in the predetermined direction on the surface image.

6. A surface image correcting method for correcting a surface image of a sample which has been acquired by a scanning probe microscope that includes a cantilever that is relatively displaced along a surface of the sample and a scanning processor that performs scanning by causing the cantilever to be relatively displaced with respect to the surface of the sample in both directions of an X direction and a Y direction which intersect each other, the method comprising:
an inclination correcting step of performing an image process for correcting inclination of the surface image to a Z direction intersecting the X direction and the Y direction on the surface image of the sample which has been acquired from scanning by the scanning processor,
wherein, in the inclination correcting step, a plurality of pixels are extracted from the surface image on a straight line along a predetermined direction, inclination of the surface image is corrected based on luminance of the extracted pixels, and an image process is performed such that it is possible to extract the plurality of pixels along the one direction in a case where correction is performed on the surface image of the sample having a flat surface at least in the one direction intersecting the X direction and the Y direction.

7. The surface image correcting method according to claim 6 , wherein, in the inclination correcting step, in a case where the correction is performed on the surface image of the sample having the flat surface at least in the one direction, the plurality of pixels which are oblique with respect to the X direction and the Y direction are extracted such that the predetermined direction substantially matches the one direction.

8. The surface image correcting method according to claim 6 , wherein, in the inclination correcting step, in a case where the correction is performed on the surface image of the sample having the flat surface at least in the one direction, the plurality of pixels are extracted after the surface image is rotated such that the one direction substantially matches the predetermined direction.

9. The surface image correcting method according to claim 6 , wherein, in the inclination correcting step, the plurality of pixels are extracted from one end portion to another end portion in the predetermined direction on the surface image.

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Hirade Masato

Classifications

• G06V20/693

  Acquisition · CPC title

• G06V10/247

  by affine transforms, e.g. correction due to perspective effects; Quadrilaterals, e.g. trapezoids · CPC title

• G06V10/20

  Image preprocessing · CPC title

• G01Q40/00

  Calibration, e.g. of probes · CPC title

• G01Q30/06 Primary

  for error compensation · CPC title