Methods and devices for correcting errors in atomic force microscopy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9527732-B2
Application number	US-201113190643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2011
Priority date	Sep 23, 2010
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a probe scans a surface to produce a first scan. The first scan is used to estimate a vertical offset for scanning the surface to produce a second scan. In certain embodiments, an AFM device engages a probe to a surface using a piezo voltage. The probe scans the surface to produce a first scan. The first scan is used to estimate a vertical offset such that the probe uses the piezo voltage to engage the surface for a second scan at a different vertical position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
applying a first voltage to a piezoelectric electrode on a tube scanner to vertically extend a probe tip towards a surface of a workpiece;
scanning the surface to produce a first scan;
offsetting the tube scanner in a horizontal direction; and
based on the first scan and horizontal offset, estimating a vertical offset permitting the tube scanner to perform a second scan of the surface while applying the first voltage to the piezoelectric electrode.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on the vertical offset estimation, offsetting the tube scanner in a vertical direction; and
scanning the surface to produce a second scan.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on the vertical offset estimation, offsetting the workpiece in a vertical direction; and
scanning the surface to produce a second scan.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
based on the vertical offset estimation, offsetting both the workpiece and the tube scanner in a vertical direction; and
scanning the surface to produce a second scan.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first scan comprises surface tilt information, and wherein the estimating step is further based on the surface tilt information.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second scan produces an image of the surface.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
subtracting the first scan from the second scan to produce a corrected image of the surface.

8. An apparatus comprising:
an atomic force microscope (AFM) system including a tube scanner having an electrode and a probe attached to the electrode,
wherein the AFM system is configured to:
apply a first voltage to the electrode to vertically extend the probe towards a surface of a workpiece;
scan the surface to produce a first scan;
offset the tube scanner a horizontal distance; and
based on the first scan and the horizontal distance, offset the tube scanner a vertical distance so that the probe can perform a second scan of the surface while the first voltage is applied to the electrode.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the electrode includes a piezoelectric material.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first scan includes surface tilt information, and wherein the offsetting the tube scanner is further based on the surface tilt information.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the AFM system is configured to subtract the first scan from the second scan to produce a corrected image of the surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the AFM system is configured to estimate a vertical offset for scanning the surface to produce the second scan, based on the first scan and the horizontal distance.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a step motor that offsets the tube scanner.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the AFM system is configured to apply the first voltage to the electrode to vertically move the probe to contact a surface of the workpiece.

15. A method comprising:
scanning a surface at a first location with a scanner including a probe to produce a first scan containing surface tilt (φ) information;
moving the scanner a horizontal distance (ΔX) to a second location; and
based on the surface tilt information and the horizontal distance, moving the scanner a vertical distance (ΔZ), wherein the vertical distance (ΔZ) is calculated in accordance with a first equation:
Δ Z=ΔX *tan(φ).

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric electrode elongates a first vertical distance when the first voltage is applied to the piezoelectric electrode to vertically extend the probe tip.

17. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the electrode elongates a first vertical distance when the first voltage is applied to the electrode to vertically extend the probe.

Assignees

• Liu Huiwen
• Gunderson Peter
• Zhou Lin
• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Liu Huiwen
• Gunderson Peter
• Zhou Lin

Classifications

• G01Q10/06

  Circuits or algorithms therefor · CPC title

• B82Y35/00 Primary

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

• G01Q30/06 Primary

  for error compensation · CPC title