Scanning probe microscope and sample holder therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017343580-A1
Application number	US-201415533535-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Nov 30, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

This sample holder for a scanning probe microscope is constituted of (1) a container that retains a liquid and (2) a flat-plate-shaped upper cover that covers an upper opening of the container and that has a narrow slit above the position where a sample is placed. In the upper cover, the slit has a slit width with which a thin film of the liquid is formed over the upper surface of the sample when the liquid fills the space between the container and the upper cover. The thin film of the liquid has a film thickness smaller than the distance between the upper surface of the sample and the upper cover.

First claim

1 . A sample holder for scanning probe microscope, comprising:
a container that holds liquid; and a tabular-shaped upper lid that covers an upper opening of the container, and that has a slim slit above a placement position of the sample, wherein the slit having a slit width to form a thin film of the liquid, having a film thickness smaller than a distance between an upper surface of the sample and the upper lid, on the upper surface of the sample, when the liquid is filled between the container and the upper lid.

2 . The sample holder for scanning probe microscope according to claim 1 ,
wherein the film thickness is a film thickness to generate a nonlinear optical signal in the sample when the sample in the liquid is irradiated with a pulsed laser beam.

3 . The sample holder for scanning probe microscope according to claim 1 ,
wherein the container has an inlet and a recovery port of the liquid, and wherein the slit is formed in the upper lid in parallel to a circulation direction of the liquid.

4 . The sample holder for scanning probe microscope according to claim 1 ,
wherein the container has an inlet and a recovery port of the liquid, and wherein the slit is formed in the upper lid in a direction orthogonal to a circulation direction of the liquid.

5 . The sample holder for scanning probe microscope according to claim 4 , further comprising a partition that limits the flow of the liquid to induce the liquid to the upper surface of the sample.

6 . A scanning probe microscope comprising:
a sample holder having: a container that holds liquid; a tabular-shaped upper lid that covers an upper opening of the container, and that has a slim slit above a placement position of a sample, wherein the slit forms a thin film of the liquid having a film thickness smaller than a distance between an upper surface of the sample and the upper lid on the upper surface of the sample when the liquid is filled between the container and the upper lid; a probe; an oscillator that displaces the probe in upward and downward directions; a pulsed laser light source that irradiates a pulsed laser beam to a region of the sample measured with the probe; a filter integrated detector that measures intensity of output light caused in the sample by irradiation of the pulsed laser beam by energy spectroscopy; a scanning mechanism that moves the sample holder in a horizontal direction; and a control device that controls the oscillator, the pulsed laser beam source, and the scanning mechanism.

7 . The scanning probe microscope according to claim 6 ,
wherein, assuming that r×100 μm holds as the film thickness of the thin film, 60 to 480×3 r−1 μJ/mm 2 /ps holds as energy density of the pulsed laser beam per unit area and per unit time.

8 . The scanning probe microscope according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a sample position control mechanism that adjusts a height position of the sample under the sample holder, wherein the control device controls the sample position control mechanism based on the result of measurement with the filter integrated detector to adjust the height position of the sample and adjust the film thickness of the thin film.

9 . The scanning probe microscope according to claim 6 ,
wherein the control device calculates a distance between the upper lid of the sample holder and the upper surface of the sample and the width of the slit, to cause a nonlinear optical signal in the sample when the sample in the liquid is irradiated with the pulsed laser beam, based on surface tension in interface between the sample and the liquid and surface tension in interface between the upper lid of the sample holder and the liquid, accepted through a user interface, and displays the distance and the width on the user interface.

10 . The scanning probe microscope according to claim 6 ,
wherein the pulsed laser beam source has a first light source that irradiates a pulsed laser beam with a fixed wavelength and a second light source that irradiates a pulsed laser beam with a variable wavelength, and wherein the filter integrated detector detects sum frequency light as the output light.

11 . The scanning probe microscope according to claim 6 ,
wherein the output light is a second harmonic wave of the pulsed laser beam.

12 . The scanning probe microscope according to claim 6 ,
wherein the output light is Raman scattering light of the pulsed laser beam.

13 . The scanning probe microscope according to claim 6 ,
wherein the oscillator is formed with a cantilever with a probe attached to its end, and an exciter that displaces the cantilever in upward and downward directions.

14 . A scanning probe microscope comprising:
a sample holder having: a container that holds liquid; a tabular-shaped upper lid that covers an upper opening of the container and that has a slim slit above a placement position of a sample, the slit having a slit width to form a thin film of the liquid having a film thickness smaller than a distance between an upper surface of the sample and the upper lid on the upper surface of the sample when the liquid is filled between the container and the upper lid; a probe; an oscillator that displaces the probe in upward and downward directions; a probe power source that applies alternating current voltage and direct current voltage to the probe; a detector that detects a force applied to the probe; a scanning mechanism that moves the sample holder in a horizontal direction; and a control device that controls the oscillator, the probe power source, and the scanning mechanism.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• NAGATA Sanato
• Hashizume Tomihiro
• Nambu Akira
• Koizumi Hideaki

Classifications

• G01Q30/14 Primary

  Liquid environment · CPC title

• G01Q30/20 Primary

  Sample handling devices or methods · CPC title

• G01Q60/24

  AFM [Atomic Force Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. AFM probes · CPC title

• G01Q60/18

  SNOM [Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. SNOM probes · CPC title