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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7677088 | Cantilever probe and applications of the same A method of fabricating a nanoscale cantilever probe. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of forming a cantilever having a tip vertically extending from an end portion of the cantilever, where the tip has an apex portion having a size in a range of abou... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7673502 | Inspection of a continuously variable transmission belt member A belt (3) of a continuously variable transmission comprises a pair of endless rings (2a) and plural elements (1) held between the pair of endless rings (2a). The endless rings (2) are formed of plural laminated thin ... | 03/09/2010 |
| 7665349 | Method and apparatus for rapid automatic engagement of a probe A method and apparatus of engaging a probe with a sample surface including automatically reducing the spacing between a probe of a probe based instrument and a sample from an initial separation to one in which the probe is positioned for obtaining a sample surface m... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7665350 | Surface scanning method The invention relates to a dynamic-mode surface (12) scanning method in which a cantilever (10) provided with a probe (18) is non-positively coupled to the surface and is made to oscillate in a resonant fashion using positive feedback, wherein t... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7658097 | Method and apparatus of high speed property mapping A probe instrument having a probe that interacts with a sample surface to perform a mechanical property measurement at high speed includes a scanner producing relative motion between the sample and the probe. In addition, a probe actuator produces relative motion be... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7657947 | Method and device for the contactless excitation of torsional vibrations in a one-sidedly clamped-in spring cantilever of an atomic force microscope A method for exciting free torsional vibrations a spring cantilever, which is clamped in on one side and has a longitudinal extension, of an atomic force microscope (AFM) is disclosed. The invention provides by the one-sidedly clam... | 02/02/2010 |
| 7647822 | Coaxial imaging for indentation instruments Modifications to the indenter probe tips and transducer, and proper selection of optics in an indentation system allow straight down optical viewing of the sample surface under the indentation tip by a microscope, by providing an optical path through the transducer ... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7637149 | Integrated displacement sensors for probe microscopy and force spectroscopy In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is a force sensor for a probe based instrument. The force sensor can comprise a detection surface and a flexible mechanical structure disposed a first distance above the detection surface so as to form a gap b... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7637960 | Short and thin silicon cantilever with tip and fabrication thereof Thin and short cantilevers possess both a low force constant and a high resonance frequency, thus are highly desirable for atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging and force measurement. According to some embodiments, the invention provides small silicon (Si) cantileve... | 12/29/2009 |
| 7631548 | Scanning probe microscope With a scanning probe microscope, if a plurality of sample properties are measured using a scanning scheme of allowing a probe to approach and withdraw from a sample, the sample properties need to be accurately and reliably detected in the minimum required measureme... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7631547 | Scanning probe apparatus and drive stage therefor A scanning probe apparatus for obtaining information of a sample or processing the sample with relative movement between the sample and the apparatus includes a sample stage for holding the sample, and a drive stage with a probe, a cantilever supporting the probe, a... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7631546 | Method and apparatus for monitoring of a SPM actuator A method and apparatus are provided for monitoring motion of a scanning probe microscope (SPM) actuator using an improved optical displacement sensor (ODS) including a light emitter, an intensifier, and a photodetector. One of these three devices, most preferably th... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7631549 | Method and apparatus for micromachines, microstructures, nanomachines and nanostructures Parts and structures are described for micro and nano machines and the creation of macro structures with nano and micro layers of special materials to provide improved performance. ... | 12/15/2009 |
| 7617720 | Surface position measuring method and surface position measuring device A surface position measuring method capable of measuring a position on a soft surface accurately and rapidly (real time), with low invasiveness. The method comprises the steps of measuring the spectrum of thermal oscillation of a cantilever with the distance between... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7617719 | Method and apparatus for obtaining material property information of a heterogeneous sample using harmonic resonance imaging A method and apparatus for its practice are provided of differentiating at least one component of a heterogeneous sample from other component(s) using harmonic resonance imaging and of obtaining information regarding the sample from the differentiation. In a preferr... | 11/17/2009 |
| 7614288 | Scanning probe microscope fine-movement mechanism and scanning probe microscope using same An inching mechanism for a scanning probe microscope capable of performing measurement with high precision while enhancing the scanning speed by a probe furthermore, and a scanning probe microscope comprising it. The inching mechanism for a scanning probe microscope... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7614287 | Scanning probe microscope displacement detecting mechanism and scanning probe microscope using same A displacement detection mechanism for a scanning probe microscope capable of performing measurement quickly with high precision even if an objective lens or an illumination system is arranged above or below a sample or a cantilever, and a scanning probe microscope ... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7610797 | Carbon nanotube detection system A carbon nanotube detection system is disclosed. The detection system is suitable to detect carbon nanotube vibrations. Types of detection systems include but are not limited to: magnetic coupling to a magnetic particle attached at the distal end of the nanotube osc... | 11/03/2009 |
| 7607343 | System for nano position sensing in scanning probe microscopes using an estimator In accordance with the invention, an estimator is used in the controller portion of a scanning probe microscope to provide precise position estimates of the probe tip which is controlled in the vertical direction by a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) actuator. T... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7607342 | Method and apparatus for reducing lateral interactive forces during operation of a probe-based instrument A cantilever probe-based instrument is controlled to reduce the lateral loads imposed on the probe as a result of probe/sample interaction. In a preferred embodiment, the probe tip and/or sample are driven to move laterally relative to one another as a function of c... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7607344 | Factory-alignable compact cantilever probe A scanner which includes a gradient index lens for passing and focusing beams from a radiation emitter to a cantilevered member reflective surface of a probe and from the reflective surface to a radiation detector. The lens also serves as a mechanical support for at... | 10/27/2009 |
| 7603891 | Multiple frequency atomic force microscopy An apparatus and technique for extracting information carried in higher eigenmodes or harmonics of an oscillating cantilever or other oscillating sensors in atomic force microscopy and related MEMs work is described. ... | 10/20/2009 |
| 7596990 | Method and apparatus for obtaining quantitative measurements using a probe based instrument A cantilever probe-based instrument is controlled to counteract the lateral loads imposed on the probe as a result of probe sample interaction. The probe preferably includes an active cantilever, such as a so-called bimorph cantilever. Force counteraction is prefera... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7596989 | Probe for an atomic force microscope A probe for an atomic force microscope is adapted such that, as a sample is scanned, it experiences a biasing force urging the probe towards the sample. This improves probe tracking of the sample surface and faster scans are possible. This is achieved by either incl... | 10/06/2009 |
| 7591170 | Rough road detection system A rough road detection system includes an engine speed module, a feature space module, a normalization module, and a rough road module. The engine speed module generates an engine speed signal based on a crank signal. The feature space module generates a feature spa... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7591171 | Atomic force microscope A surface shape of a member to be measured is measured by reflecting measuring light at a reflection surface of a probe and utilizing an atomic force exerting between the probe and utilizing an atomic force exerting between the probe and the member to be measured. I... | 09/22/2009 |
| 7584653 | System for wide frequency dynamic nanomechanical analysis Dynamic nanomechanical analysis of a sample is performed by using a cantilever probe that interacts with the sample using a force applied across a wide range of frequencies that includes frequencies greater than 300 Hz. The motion of the cantilever probe is detected... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7581438 | Surface texture measuring probe and microscope utilizing the same A surface texture measuring probe (60) includes a probe head (65), a first supporting body (61), a second supporting body (62), a piezoelectric element (63) and a balancer (64). The first supporting body includes a first sup... | 09/01/2009 |
| 7578176 | Systems and methods for utilizing scanning probe shape characterization A scanning probe microscope's probe tip dimensions as they exist or existed for a certain data or measurement are inferred based on probe activity taking place since a probe characterization procedure was performed. The inferred probe tip dimensions can be used to c... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7574903 | Method and apparatus of driving torsional resonance mode of a probe-based instrument A method of operating a scanning probe microscope includes using a probe having a cantilever, and oscillating the probe at a torsional resonance frequency thereof. In addition, the method includes substantially increasing torsional drive efficiency with dual actuato... | 08/18/2009 |
| 7571638 | Tool tips with scanning probe microscopy and/or atomic force microscopy applications A micro-object is affixed to a mounting structure at a desired relative orientation. The micro-object may be a tool tip optimized to work with particular microscope objectives permitting the tip to be imaged along with the object surface and used to make measurement... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7571639 | Method of correcting opaque defect of photomask using atomic force microscope fine processing device An opaque defect is processed by scanning with a high load or height fixed mode using a probe harder than a pattern material of a photomask at the time of going scanning, and is observed by scanning with a low load or intermittent contact mode at the time of returni... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7572300 | Monolithic high aspect ratio nano-size scanning probe microscope (SPM) tip formed by nanowire growth A scanning probe where the micromachined pyramid tip is extended by the growth of an epitaxial nanowire from the top portion of the tip is disclosed. A metallic particle, such as gold, may terminate the nanowire to realize an apertureless near-field optical microsco... | 08/11/2009 |
| 7562564 | Scanning probe microscope and sample observing method using this and semiconductor device production method A scanning probe microscope capable of measuring accurate 3-D shape information of a sample with high through-put without damaging a sample. In a method for acquiring an accurate 3-D shape of a sample without imparting damage to the sample by bringing a probe into c... | 07/21/2009 |
| 7555940 | Cantilever free-decay measurement system with coherent averaging A system and method for measuring sample material properties by coherently averaging cantilever free-decay signals in a scanning probe microscope is described. ... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7555941 | Scanner for probe microscopy A scanner for probe microscopy that avoids low resonance frequencies and accounts better for piezo nonlinearities. The x, y and z axes of a linear stack scanner are partially decoupled from each other while maintaining all mechanical joints stiff in the direction of... | 07/07/2009 |
| 7552625 | Force sensing integrated readout and active tip based probe microscope systems In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is a force sensor for a probe based instrument. The force sensor can comprise a detection surface and a flexible mechanical structure disposed a first distance above the detection surface so as to form a gap b... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7549325 | Glide head with active device A glide head having a portion thereof that is selectively extendable toward the rotating disk by the application of an electrical signal thereto. The extendable portion may be located on a side wing extending from a slider main body. The side wing may include a piez... | 06/23/2009 |
| 7543482 | Carbon thin line probe A carbon thin line probe having a carbon thin line selectively formed at a projection-like terminal end portion thereof by means of an irradiation of high-energy beam, the carbon thin line internally containing a metal. Thereby achieved is a carbon thin line probe s... | 06/09/2009 |
| 7536901 | SPM sensor An SPM sensor (1) for a scanning probe microscope with a cantilever (3), a holding element (2) at one end of the cantilever (3) and a sensor tip (4) at the other end of the cantilever (3) and to a method for producing sensor... | 05/26/2009 |
