Scanning probe microscope and method for measuring physical quantity using scanning probe microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021316986-A1
Application number	US-201817266648-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 9, 2018
Publication date	Oct 14, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A scanning probe microscope ( 50 ) is provided with a probe ( 20 ), a cantilever ( 2 ) supporting the probe ( 20 ), a scanner ( 43 ) on which a sample (S) is placed, a drive unit ( 4 ) for changing the distance between the sample (S) and the probe ( 20 ), and a displacement measurement unit ( 3 ) for measuring the displacement of the cantilever ( 2 ). The scanning probe microscope ( 50 ) is provided with a curve generation unit ( 11 ) for generating a first curve representing the relation between the distance between the probe ( 20 ) and the sample (S) and the quantity representing the displacement of the cantilever ( 2 ) when the sample (S) approaches the probe ( 20 ) and a second curve representing the relation between the distance between the probe ( 20 ) and the sample (S) when the sample (S) moves away from the probe ( 20 ) and the quantity representing the displacement of the cantilever ( 2 ), and a physical quantity calculation unit ( 53 ) for determining the quantity representing the area between the first curve and the second curve as a physical quantity of the sample.

First claim

1 . A scanning probe microscope comprising:
a probe; a support member supporting the probe; a placement unit configured to place a sample thereon; a drive unit configured to change a distance between the sample and the probe; a displacement measurement unit configured to measure a displacement of the support member; a curve generation unit configured to generate a first curve representing a relation between the distance between the probe and the sample and a quantity representing the displacement of the support member when the sample approaches the probe and a second curve representing a relation between the distance between the probe and the sample and a quantity representing the displacement of the support member when the sample moves away from the probe; and a physical quantity calculation unit configured to calculate, as a physical quantity of the sample, a quantity representing an area between the first curve and the second curve in at least one of:
a range of the distance between the support member and the sample in which the magnitude of an inclination of the first curve is equal to or greater than a first threshold,
a range of the distance between the support member and the sample in which the magnitude of an inclination of the second curve is equal to or greater than a second threshold, and
a range in which the distance between the support member and the sample is specified.

2 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the physical quantity of the sample is a quantity representing hardness of the sample.

3 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the curve generation unit uses a force that the support member receives due to the displacement as a quantity representing the displacement of the support member.

4 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein the drive unit scans the sample or the probe in a horizontal direction, wherein the displacement measurement unit measures the displacement of the support member at each position in the horizontal direction, wherein the curve generation unit generates the first curve and the second curve at each position in the horizontal direction, wherein the physical quantity calculation unit calculates the physical quantity at each position in the horizontal direction, and wherein the scanning probe microscope further comprises an image generation unit configured to generate an image in which the physical quantity with respect to each position in the horizontal direction is represented by a pixel value.

5 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the physical quantity calculation unit calculates, as the physical quantity of the sample, the quantity representing the area between the first curve and the second curve in the range of the distance between the support member and the sample in which the magnitude of the inclination of the first curve is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

6 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the physical quantity calculation unit calculates, as the physical quantity of the sample, the quantity representing the area between the first curve and the second curve in the range of the distance between the support member and the sample in which the magnitude of the inclination of the second curve is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

7 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the physical quantity calculation unit calculates, as the physical quantity of the sample, the quantity representing the area between the first curve and the second curve in the range of the distance between the support member and the sample in which the magnitude of the inclination of the first curve is equal to or greater than the first threshold and the magnitude of the inclination of the second curve is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

8 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the physical quantity calculation unit calculates, as the physical quantity of the sample, the quantity representing the area between the first curve and the second curve in the range in which the distance between the support member and the sample is specified.

9 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 8 ,
wherein the physical quantity calculation unit calculates the physical quantity for each of a plurality of the specified ranges, and wherein the image generation unit generates a plurality of images different in the specified range.

10 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the displacement measurement unit measures the displacement at a plurality of points of the distance between the probe and the sample, and wherein the physical quantity calculation unit calculates a difference value between a quantity representing a displacement on the first curve and a quantity representing a displacement on the second curve at each of the plurality of points and calculates a sum of the difference values as the physical quantity of the sample.

11 . A scanning probe microscope comprising:
a probe; a support member supporting the probe; a placement unit configured to place a sample thereon; a drive unit configured to change a distance between the sample and the probe; a displacement measurement unit configured to measure a displacement of the support member; a curve generation unit configured to generate a first curve representing a relation between the distance between the probe and the sample and a quantity representing a displacement of the support member when the sample approaches the probe and a second curve representing a relation between the distance between the probe and the sample and a quantity representing the displacement of the support member when the sample moves away from the probe; and a shape value calculation unit configured to calculate, as a shape value representing a surface shape of the sample, a distance between the support member and the sample corresponding to a quantity representing a specified displacement on the first curve or the second curve, wherein the drive unit scans the sample or the probe in a horizontal direction, wherein the displacement measurement unit measures the displacement of the support member at each position in the horizontal direction, wherein the curve generation unit generates the first curve and the second curve at each position in the horizontal direction, wherein the shape value calculation unit calculates the shape value at each position in the horizontal direction, wherein the scanning probe microscope further comprises an image generation unit configured to generate an image in which the shape value with respect to each position in the horizontal direction is represented by a pixel value, wherein the shape value calculation unit calculates the shape value for each of a plurality of the specified displacements, and wherein the image generation unit generates the plurality of images different in the specified displacement.

12 . The scanning probe microscope as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the support member is a cantilever.

13 . A method of measuring a physical quantity using a scanning probe microscope comprising a probe, a support member supporting the probe, and a placement unit configured to place a sample thereon, a drive unit, and a displacement measurement unit, the method comprising:
changing a distance between the sample and the probe by the drive unit; measuring a displacement of the support member by the displacement measurement unit; generating a first curve representing a relation between

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Yamasaki Kenji
• Kogure Akinori

Classifications

• G01Q20/02 Primary

  by optical means · CPC title

• B82Y35/00 Primary

  Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures · CPC title

• G01Q30/04 Primary

  Display or data processing devices · CPC title

• G01Q60/38

  Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders · CPC title

• G01Q60/32

  AC mode · CPC title