Scanning mechanism and scanning probe microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9519005-B2
Application number	US-201514862538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Apr 4, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

A scanning mechanism includes a cantilever, an XY movable portion movable in X and Y directions parallel to an X-Y plane, an XY actuator to scan the XY movable portion in the X and Y directions, a Z actuator to scan the cantilever in a Z direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane, and a light condensing portion to cause light for detecting a displacement of the cantilever to enter the cantilever. The Z actuator and the light condensing portion are held by the XY movable portion and arranged side by side in projection to the X-Y plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A scanning mechanism comprising:
a cantilever;
an XY movable stage movable in X and Y directions parallel to an X-Y plane;
an XY actuator to scan the XY movable stage in the X and Y directions;
a Z actuator, held by the XY movable stage, to scan the cantilever in a Z direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane, the Z actuator having one end fixed to the XY movable stage and the other end, which is a free end, to hold a holder configured to hold the cantilever; and
a light condensing optical unit comprising at least one lens, the at least one lens being held by the XY movable stage, the Z actuator not being operable to move the at least one lens in the Z direction, and the at least one lens directing light to the cantilever for detecting a displacement of the cantilever,
wherein in projection to the X-Y plane, at least part of the Z actuator is not overlapped with the light condensing optical unit.

2. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the Z actuator includes at least one piezoelectric element, the at least one piezoelectric element and the light condensing optical unit being arranged so as not to be overlapped with each other in projection to the X-Y plane.

3. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein both a center of gravity of the Z actuator and a center of gravity of the light condensing optical unit fall within a thickness of the XY movable stage.

4. The scanning mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the Z actuator includes two, substantially identical, laminated piezoelectric elements to expand and contract along a Z axis, and the two laminated piezoelectric elements extend from the XY movable stage to opposite sides along the Z axis, respectively.

5. The scanning mechanism according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a holder to hold the cantilever, the holder being held at a free end of one of the two laminated piezoelectric elements, and
a pseudo holder substantially equal in mass to the holder being held at a free end of the other one of the two laminated piezoelectric elements.

6. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens comprises first and second lenses.

7. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one lens comprises a single lens.

8. The scanning mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein
the cantilever is held so as to form an angle of 5 degrees to 20 degrees with respect to the X-Y plane, and
the single lens is held by the XY movable stage with an angle of 5 degrees to 20 degrees by an optical axis of the single lens with respect to the Z axis.

9. The scanning mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein the single lens has a diameter of not larger than 10 mm.

10. The scanning mechanism according to claim 7 , wherein the single lens has a NA of not lower than 0.4.

11. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the XY movable stage comprises a vibration reducing part, arranged between the Z actuator and the light condensing optical unit, to reduce transfer of vibration between the Z actuator and the light condensing optical unit.

12. The scanning mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the vibration reducing part is formed so as to be in contact with at least part of a periphery of the light condensing optical unit that is closest to the Z actuator, and the XY movable stage.

13. The scanning mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the Z actuator includes two, substantially identical, laminated piezoelectric elements to expand and contract along a Z axis, and the two laminated piezoelectric elements extend from the XY movable stage to opposite sides along the Z axis, respectively.

14. The scanning mechanism according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a holder to hold the cantilever, the holder being held at a free end of one of the two laminated piezoelectric elements, and
a pseudo holder substantially equal in mass to the holder being held at a free end of the other one of the two laminated piezoelectric elements.

15. The scanning mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one lens comprises first and second lenses.

16. The scanning mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one lens comprises a single lens.

17. The scanning mechanism according to claim 16 , wherein
the cantilever is held so as to form an angle of 5 degrees to 20 degrees with respect to the X-Y plane, and
the single lens is held by the XY movable stage with an angle of 5 degrees to 20 degrees by an optical axis of the single lens with respect to the Z axis.

18. The scanning mechanism according to claim 16 , wherein the single lens has a diameter of not larger than 10 mm.

19. The scanning mechanism according to claim 16 , wherein the single lens has a NA of not lower than 0.4.

20. The scanning mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein the vibration reducing part comprises an opening.

21. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the light condensing optical unit changes light for detecting the displacement of the cantilever held by the XY movable stage into convergent light and causes the convergent light to enter the cantilever.

22. A scanning probe microscope comprising the scanning mechanism according to claim 1 .

23. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 22 , comprising an inverted optical microscope.

24. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 23 , wherein the scanning probe microscope further comprises an illumination light source for the inverted optical microscope and an objective lens for the inverted optical microscope, and illumination light emitted from the illumination light source being applied to a sample through the light condensing optical unit, so that transmission observation of the sample is performed.

25. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein in projection to the X-Y plane, at least part of the light condensing optical unit is outside of the Z actuator.

26. The scanning mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the light condensing optical unit is configured to extend through the XY movable stage or disposed within a through hole of the XY movable stage.

27. A scanning mechanism comprising:
a cantilever;
an XY movable stage movable in X and Y directions parallel to an X-Y plane;
an XY actuator to scan the XY movable stage in the X and Y directions;
a Z actuator, held by the XY movable stage, to scan the cantilever in a Z direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane, the Z actuator having one end fixed to the XY movable portion and the other end, which is a free end, to hold a holder configured to hold the cantilever; and
a light condensing optical unit comprising at least one lens, the at least one lens being held by the XY movable stage, the Z actuator not being operable to move the at least one lens in the Z direction, and the at least one lens causing light for detecting a displacement of the cantilever to enter the cantilever,
wherein in projection to the X-Y plane, the Z actuator and light condensing optical unit are arranged side by side.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Sakai Nobuaki

Classifications

• G01Q30/025

  Optical microscopes coupled with SPM · CPC title

• G01Q10/00 Primary

  Scanning or positioning arrangements, i.e. arrangements for actively controlling the movement or position of the probe · CPC title

• G01Q10/04

  Fine scanning or positioning · CPC title

• G01Q20/02 Primary

  by optical means · CPC title