| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 850003000 | Fine scanning or positioning (EPO) | 15 |
| 20090077696 | Methods, Systems and Computer Program Products for Measuring Critical Dimensions of Fine Patterns Using Scanning Electron Microscope Pictures and Secondary Electron Signal Profiles - A pattern is inspected by acquiring a scanning electron microscope picture of an inspection pattern, and acquiring a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern. A determination is made as to whether the inspection pattern is defective by comparing the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope picture of a sample pattern, and by comparing the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of a sample pattern. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090133167 | METHOD FOR OBTAINING A SCANNING TRANSMISSION IMAGE OF A SAMPLE IN A PARTICLE-OPTICAL APPARATUS - A method for improving the resolution of STEM images of thick samples. In STEM, the diameter of the cross-over depends on the opening half-angle α of the beam and can be as low as 0.1 nm. For optimum resolution an opening half-angle is chosen at which the diameter of the cross-over R(α) shows a minimum. For thick samples the resolution is, for those parts of the sample removed from the cross-over plane, limited by the convergence of the beam, resulting in a diameter D of the beam at the surface of the sample. The opening angle is chosen to balance the contribution of convergence and of diameter of the cross-over by choosing an opening half-angle smaller than the optimum opening half-angle. Effectively the sample is then scanned with a beam that has a substantially constant diameter over the length of the sample material through which the electrons have to travel. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090300804 | MONOLITHIC NANOSCALE ACTUATION - An apparatus including an actuator configured for controllable deflection, and also including a piezoresistive element integral to the actuator and having first and second piezoresistive portions and a plurality of contacts. One of the plurality of contacts is configured to pass a received feedback signal through the first and second piezoresistive portions. Detection of the actuator deflection is indicated by comparison of the feedback signal as detected via at least one of the plurality of contacts that are interposed by at least one of the first and second piezoresistive portions. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20110016592 | ITERATIVE FEEDBACK TUNING IN A SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A method, system, device, and software for automatically determining PI feedback parameters in a scanning probe microscopy application setup using an iterative feedback tuning process. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20110035848 | Laser guided tip approach with 3D registration to a surface - The present invention relates to a method of rapidly and repeatably bringing sharp objects into close proximity to a particular region of interest of a sample with high precision and accuracy in two or three dimensions using a laser guided tip approach with three dimensional registration to the surface. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20140007307 | METHOD OF PREPARING AND IMAGING A LAMELLA IN A PARTICLE-OPTICAL APPARATUS | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140026263 | ADAPTIVE MODE SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A scanning probe microscope comprising a probe that is mechanically responsive to a driving force. A signal generator provides a drive signal to an actuator that generates the driving force, the drive signal being such as to cause the actuator to move the probe repeatedly towards and away from a sample. A detection system is arranged to output a height signal indicative of a path difference between light reflected from the probe and a height reference beam. Image processing apparatus is arranged to use the height signal to form an image of the sample. Signal processing apparatus is arranged to monitor the probe as the probe approaches a sample and to detect a surface position at which the probe interacts with the sample. In response to detection of the surface position, the signal processing apparatus prompts the signal generator to modify the drive signal. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140317789 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A SCANNING MICROSCOPE - The invention relates to a control method having at least two control loops for a scanning microscope provided with a microlever and an actuator suitable for energizing the microlever, in which a first loop maintains as a controlled variable the oscillation amplitude of the microlever and as a manipulated variable the amplitude of the electric signal supplied to the actuator, and a second loop uses as a controlled variable the amplitude of the aforementioned electric signal and as a manipulated variable the tip-sample distance. Said procedure makes it possible to ignore changes of sign in the tip-sample interaction. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140380531 | PROBE-BASED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM WITH ADAPTIVE MODE OF PROBING CONTROLLED BY LOCAL SAMPLE PROPERTIES - A method for testing an integrated circuit (IC) using a nanoprobe, by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to register the nanoprobe to an identified feature on the IC; navigating the nanoprobe to a region of interest; scanning the nanoprobe over the surface of the IC while reading data from the nanoprobe; when the data from the nanoprobe indicates that the nanoprobe traverse a feature of interest, decelerating the scanning speed of the nanoprobe and performing testing of the IC. The scanning can be done at a prescribed nanoprobe tip force, and during the step of decelerating the scanning speed, the method further includes increasing the nanoprobe tip force. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20160011231 | Three-Dimensional Fine Movement Device | 01-14-2016 |
| 20090077696 | Methods, Systems and Computer Program Products for Measuring Critical Dimensions of Fine Patterns Using Scanning Electron Microscope Pictures and Secondary Electron Signal Profiles - A pattern is inspected by acquiring a scanning electron microscope picture of an inspection pattern, and acquiring a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern. A determination is made as to whether the inspection pattern is defective by comparing the scanning electron microscope picture of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope picture of a sample pattern, and by comparing the scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of the inspection pattern to a scanning electron microscope secondary electron signal profile of a sample pattern. | 03-19-2009 |
| 20090133167 | METHOD FOR OBTAINING A SCANNING TRANSMISSION IMAGE OF A SAMPLE IN A PARTICLE-OPTICAL APPARATUS - A method for improving the resolution of STEM images of thick samples. In STEM, the diameter of the cross-over depends on the opening half-angle α of the beam and can be as low as 0.1 nm. For optimum resolution an opening half-angle is chosen at which the diameter of the cross-over R(α) shows a minimum. For thick samples the resolution is, for those parts of the sample removed from the cross-over plane, limited by the convergence of the beam, resulting in a diameter D of the beam at the surface of the sample. The opening angle is chosen to balance the contribution of convergence and of diameter of the cross-over by choosing an opening half-angle smaller than the optimum opening half-angle. Effectively the sample is then scanned with a beam that has a substantially constant diameter over the length of the sample material through which the electrons have to travel. | 05-21-2009 |
| 20090300804 | MONOLITHIC NANOSCALE ACTUATION - An apparatus including an actuator configured for controllable deflection, and also including a piezoresistive element integral to the actuator and having first and second piezoresistive portions and a plurality of contacts. One of the plurality of contacts is configured to pass a received feedback signal through the first and second piezoresistive portions. Detection of the actuator deflection is indicated by comparison of the feedback signal as detected via at least one of the plurality of contacts that are interposed by at least one of the first and second piezoresistive portions. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20110016592 | ITERATIVE FEEDBACK TUNING IN A SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A method, system, device, and software for automatically determining PI feedback parameters in a scanning probe microscopy application setup using an iterative feedback tuning process. | 01-20-2011 |
| 20110035848 | Laser guided tip approach with 3D registration to a surface - The present invention relates to a method of rapidly and repeatably bringing sharp objects into close proximity to a particular region of interest of a sample with high precision and accuracy in two or three dimensions using a laser guided tip approach with three dimensional registration to the surface. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20140007307 | METHOD OF PREPARING AND IMAGING A LAMELLA IN A PARTICLE-OPTICAL APPARATUS | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140026263 | ADAPTIVE MODE SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A scanning probe microscope comprising a probe that is mechanically responsive to a driving force. A signal generator provides a drive signal to an actuator that generates the driving force, the drive signal being such as to cause the actuator to move the probe repeatedly towards and away from a sample. A detection system is arranged to output a height signal indicative of a path difference between light reflected from the probe and a height reference beam. Image processing apparatus is arranged to use the height signal to form an image of the sample. Signal processing apparatus is arranged to monitor the probe as the probe approaches a sample and to detect a surface position at which the probe interacts with the sample. In response to detection of the surface position, the signal processing apparatus prompts the signal generator to modify the drive signal. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140317789 | METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A SCANNING MICROSCOPE - The invention relates to a control method having at least two control loops for a scanning microscope provided with a microlever and an actuator suitable for energizing the microlever, in which a first loop maintains as a controlled variable the oscillation amplitude of the microlever and as a manipulated variable the amplitude of the electric signal supplied to the actuator, and a second loop uses as a controlled variable the amplitude of the aforementioned electric signal and as a manipulated variable the tip-sample distance. Said procedure makes it possible to ignore changes of sign in the tip-sample interaction. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140380531 | PROBE-BASED DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM WITH ADAPTIVE MODE OF PROBING CONTROLLED BY LOCAL SAMPLE PROPERTIES - A method for testing an integrated circuit (IC) using a nanoprobe, by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to register the nanoprobe to an identified feature on the IC; navigating the nanoprobe to a region of interest; scanning the nanoprobe over the surface of the IC while reading data from the nanoprobe; when the data from the nanoprobe indicates that the nanoprobe traverse a feature of interest, decelerating the scanning speed of the nanoprobe and performing testing of the IC. The scanning can be done at a prescribed nanoprobe tip force, and during the step of decelerating the scanning speed, the method further includes increasing the nanoprobe tip force. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20160011231 | Three-Dimensional Fine Movement Device | 01-14-2016 |
| 850004000 | Circuits or algorithms therefor(EPO) | 5 |
| 20110296561 | CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A control system ( | 12-01-2011 |
| 20130042375 | CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A control system | 02-14-2013 |
| 20130212749 | Scanning Probe Microscope and Surface Shape Measuring Method Using Same - It has been difficult to highly accurately measure the profiles of samples using scanning probe microscopes at the time when scanning is performed due to scanning mechanism fluctuations in the non drive direction, i.e., vertical direction. The present invention is provided with, on the rear side of a sample stage, a high-accuracy displacement gauge for measuring fluctuation in the non drive direction, i.e., vertical direction, at the time when the sample stage is being scanned in the horizontal directions, and as a result, highly accurate planarity evaluation with accuracy of sample nm-order or less is made possible by correcting sample surface shape measurement results obtained using a probe. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20140338073 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - The present invention relates to a method for controlling a scanning probe microscope having a probe ( | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140366228 | METHOD FOR HEIGHT CONTROL FOR SINGLE ELECTRON TUNNELING FORCE SPECTROSCOPY AND DYNAMIC TUNNELING FORCE MICROSCOPY - Height control systems and/or methods are implemented for dynamic force tunneling microscopy and single electron tunneling force spectroscopy to improve their accuracy. | 12-11-2014 |
| 20110296561 | CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A control system ( | 12-01-2011 |
| 20130042375 | CONTROL SYSTEM FOR A SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - A control system | 02-14-2013 |
| 20130212749 | Scanning Probe Microscope and Surface Shape Measuring Method Using Same - It has been difficult to highly accurately measure the profiles of samples using scanning probe microscopes at the time when scanning is performed due to scanning mechanism fluctuations in the non drive direction, i.e., vertical direction. The present invention is provided with, on the rear side of a sample stage, a high-accuracy displacement gauge for measuring fluctuation in the non drive direction, i.e., vertical direction, at the time when the sample stage is being scanned in the horizontal directions, and as a result, highly accurate planarity evaluation with accuracy of sample nm-order or less is made possible by correcting sample surface shape measurement results obtained using a probe. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20140338073 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING A SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE - The present invention relates to a method for controlling a scanning probe microscope having a probe ( | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140366228 | METHOD FOR HEIGHT CONTROL FOR SINGLE ELECTRON TUNNELING FORCE SPECTROSCOPY AND DYNAMIC TUNNELING FORCE MICROSCOPY - Height control systems and/or methods are implemented for dynamic force tunneling microscopy and single electron tunneling force spectroscopy to improve their accuracy. | 12-11-2014 |
