Apparatus and method for a scanning probe microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11796563-B2
Application number	US-202217583727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2022
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for examining a sample using at least one measuring probe of a scanning probe microscope and adapting scan parameters of the at least one measuring probe to the sample to be examined, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
a. obtaining first data of a sample to be examined;
b. determining a variable for describing a contour of at least one portion of a sample surface of the sample to be examined from the first data;
c. at a data processing apparatus, determining a lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points of the at least one measuring probe of the scanning probe microscope from the determined variable; and
d. examining the sample using the at least one measuring probe of the scanning probe microscope, and applying the determined lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points of the at least one measuring probe in the process of examining the sample.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one measuring probe comprises at least one first measuring probe and at least one second measuring probe, and the method further comprises the step of: determining the measuring probe suitable for scanning over the sample surface to be examined from the determined variable.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data are obtained from a database, in which design data of the sample to be examined are stored.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data are obtained from a scan of the at least one measuring probe over the sample surface with a constant lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data are obtained from a scan of the at least one measuring probe without a tilt of the cantilever of the at least one measuring probe.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first data are determined from design data in combination with a scan of the at least one measuring probe without a tilt of the cantilever.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the variable for describing the contour comprises: forming one or more local gradients of the at least one portion of the sample surface.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step: adapting the lateral spacing of adjacent measurement points of the least one measuring probe to the one or more local gradients.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the variable for describing the contour comprises a tilted installation of the at least one cantilever in a measuring head of a scanning probe microscope.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the variable for describing the contour comprises: tilting at least one cantilever of the at least one measuring probe depending on the determined variable for a second measurement.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step: determining a tilt angle for the installation of a tilted cantilever in a measuring head of the scanning probe microscope, and/or determining a tilt angle for at least one tilt apparatus depending on the determined variable.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step: measuring a tilt angle of the at least one measuring probe.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein measuring the tilt angle comprises using at least one of: at least two interferometers used for determining a position of a measuring tip of the at least one measuring probe, or at least one four-quadrant photodiode.

14. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer system, prompt the computer system to carry out a process for examining a sample using at least one measuring probe of a scanning probe microscope and adapting scan parameters of the at least one measuring probe to the sample to be examined, the process comprising:
a. obtaining first data of a sample to be examined;
b. determining a variable for describing a contour of at least one portion of a sample surface of the sample to be examined from the first data;
c. determining a lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points of the at least one measuring probe of the scanning probe microscope from the determined variable; and
d. examining the sample using the at least one measuring probe of the scanning probe microscope, and applying the determined lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points of the at least one measuring probe in the process of examining the sample.

15. An apparatus for examining a sample using at least one measuring probe of a scanning probe microscope and adapting scan parameters of the at least one measuring probe to the sample to be examined, comprising:
a. means for obtaining first data of the sample to be examined;
b. means for determining a variable for describing a contour of at least one portion of a sample surface be examined from the first data; and
c. means for determining a lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points of the at least one measuring probe of the scanning probe microscope from the determined variable;
wherein the apparatus is configured to examine the sample using the at least one measuring probe of the scanning probe microscope, and apply the determined lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points of the at least one measuring probe in the process of examining the sample.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is configured to reduce the lateral spacing between adjacent measurement points when the at least one measuring probe is measuring a side wall of a feature on the sample as compared to measuring a substantially planar surface of the feature on the sample.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for determining the variable for describing the contour comprises: means for forming one or more local gradients of the at least one portion of the sample surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for determining the variable for describing the contour comprises: means for a tilted installation of the at least one cantilever in a measuring head of a scanning probe microscope.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the means for determining the variable for describing the contour comprises: means for tilting at least one cantilever of the at least one measuring probe depending on the determined variable for a second measurement.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , comprising at least one of (i) means for determining a tilt angle for the installation of a tilted cantilever in a measuring head of the scanning probe microscope based on the determined variable, or (ii) means for determining a tilt angle for at least one tilt apparatus based on the determined variable.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Smt Gmbh

Inventors

• Matejka Ulrich
• Baur Christof

Classifications

• G01Q20/02 Primary

  by optical means · CPC title

• G01Q10/06

  Circuits or algorithms therefor · CPC title

• G01Q10/065

  Feedback mechanisms, i.e. wherein the signal for driving the probe is modified by a signal coming from the probe itself · CPC title

• G01Q40/02

  Calibration standards and methods of fabrication thereof · CPC title

• G01Q10/045

  Self-actuating probes, i.e. wherein the actuating means for driving are part of the probe itself, e.g. piezoelectric means on a cantilever probe · CPC title