Patents Assigned to Veeco Instruments
  • Publication number: 20100122385
    Abstract: An improved mode of AFM imaging (Peak Force Tapping (PFT) Mode) uses force as the feedback variable to reduce tip-sample interaction forces while maintaining scan speeds achievable by all existing AFM operating modes. Sample imaging and mechanical property mapping are achieved with improved resolution and high sample throughput, with the mode workable across varying environments, including gaseous, fluidic and vacuum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Hu, Shuiqing Hu, Chanmin Su
  • Patent number: 7716021
    Abstract: A design process for varying hole locations or sizes or both in an ion beam grid includes identifying a control grid to be modified; obtaining a change factor for the grid pattern; and using the change factor to generate a new grid pattern. The change factor is one or both of a hole location change factor or a hole diameter change factor. Also included is an ion beam grid having the characteristic of hole locations or sizes or both defined by a change factor modification of control grid hole locations or sizes or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Ikuya Kameyama, Daniel E. Siegfried
  • Publication number: 20100112216
    Abstract: A chemical vapor deposition reactor and method. Reactive gases, such as gases including a Group III metal source and a Group V metal source, are introduced into a rotating-disc reactor and directed downwardly onto a wafer carrier and substrates which are maintained at an elevated substrate temperature, typically above about 400° C. and normally about 700-1100° C. to deposit a compound such as a III-V semiconductor. The gases are introduced into the reactor at an inlet temperature desirably above about 75° C. and most preferably about 100°-250° C. The walls of the reactor may be at a temperature close to the inlet temperature. Use of an elevated inlet temperature allows the use of a lower rate of rotation of the wafer carrier, a higher operating pressure, lower flow rate, or some combination of these.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Alex Gurary, Mikhail Belousov, Bojan Mitrovic
  • Publication number: 20100087050
    Abstract: Methods of depositing compound semiconductors onto substrates are disclosed, including directing gaseous reactants into a reaction chamber containing the substrates, selectively supplying energy to one of the gaseous reactants in order to impart sufficient energy to activate that reactant but insufficient to decompose the reactant, and then decomposing the reactant at the surface of the substrate in order to react with the other reactants. The preferred energy source is microwave or infrared radiation, and reactors for carrying out these methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Eric A. Armour, William E. Quinn, Joshua Mangum
  • Patent number: 7691661
    Abstract: A method of making a probe having a cantilever and a tip include providing a substrate having a surface and forming a tip extending substantially orthogonally from the surface. The method includes depositing an etch stop layer on the substrate, whereby the etch stop layer protects the tip during process. A silicon nitride layer is then deposited on the etch stop layer. An etch operation is used to release the cantilever and expose the etch stop layer protecting the tip. Preferably, the tip is silicon and the cantilever supporting the tip, preferably via the etch stop layer, is silicon nitride. A probe for a surface analysis instrument made according to the method includes a tip and a silicon nitride cantilever having a thickness defined during the deposition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen C. Minne
  • Patent number: 7684956
    Abstract: A method of extracting the shape of a probe tip of a probe-based instrument from data obtained by the instrument is provided. The method employs algorithms based on the principle that no reconstructed image points can physically occupy the same region as the tip during imaging. Sequential translates of the tip shape or volume sweep out an area or volume that is an “exclusion zone” similar to morphological erosion. The embodiments of the alternative method use either the region defined by the tip boundary or simply the tip boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory A. Dahlen, William Foreman
  • Patent number: 7666323
    Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for increasing the emissivity of solid materials, wherein first the surface of the material is mechanically worked to create micro-level defects, and then etched to create a deep micro-rough surface morphology. In this manner, higher efficiencies and lower energy consumption can be obtained when these modified materials are used for heating elements. Heating elements made in accordance with this process thus operate at lower temperatures with longer lifetimes, when the improved heating elements are used with various heating devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Vadim Boguslavskiy, Alexander Gurary
  • Patent number: 7665349
    Abstract: 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 measurement in less than ten seconds without damaging either the probe or the sample. The method includes oscillating the probe, measuring at least one parameter of probe oscillation and then engaging the probe and the sample by generally continuously controlling the reducing step based on the measuring step to reduce the separation from an initial separation to an engage position. In addition to feeding back directly on the tip-sample interaction, a direct communication line is provided between the processor used to generate control signals that govern the engage and a conventional motion controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Paul I. Mininni, Jason R. Osborne, James M. Young, Charles R. Meyer
  • Patent number: 7658097
    Abstract: 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 between the sample and the probe, in a generally vertical direction, and a controller that generates a scanner drive signal and an actuator drive signal. The probe actuator is responsive to the actuator drive signal and has an operable bandwidth of at least about 50-80 kHz to perform the fast force curve measurements. The probe actuator is preferably located at least partially on the cantilever. Moreover, feedback during normal operation may be interrupted to perform a force curve measurement with the integrated actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Chanmin Su, Peter M. Lombrozo
  • Patent number: 7654685
    Abstract: An illumination system for an interferometer combines a white-light source and a green source with a reflective green dichroic filter. When the green source alone is energized for PSI measurements, the output of the illumination system is green only. When a white-light output is desired for VSI measurements, both sources are energized and the intensity of the green light is judiciously calibrated to match the spectral band filtered out by the dichroic mirror. Therefore, the system can switch between green and white light simply by changing the selection of energized sources, without any mechanical switching and attendant delays and vibrations. Multiple narrowband sources may be combined with white light in a similar manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Der-Shen Wan, Colin Farrell, Erik L. Novak
  • Patent number: 7631546
    Abstract: 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 the intensifier, is preferably movable with the actuator and relative to the other two devices. The intensifier intensifies the light incident on the detecting face of the photodetector, increasing the sensitivity of the ODS and improving the ability of the SPM to translate the actuator in the desired manner. The photodetector preferably is a split diode or a quad diode photodetector. The light emitter includes at least a light source such as an LED and may additionally include an aperture that limits the light passing therethrough to that which contributes to the displacement signal, thereby reducing shot noise and increasing the signal-to-noise ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Carl Masser
  • Patent number: 7617719
    Abstract: 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 preferred embodiment, an image is created of a property of a harmonic or a combination of a harmonics producing a response having a contrast factor between the sample's constituent components. The desired harmonic(s) can be identified either in a preliminary data acquisition procedure on the sample or, if the sample's constituent components are known in advance, predetermined. The desired harnonic(s) may be identified directly by the user or automatically through, e.g., pattern recognition. A compositional map may then be generated and displayed and/or additional information about the sample may be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignees: The Dow Chemical Company, Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Chanmin Su, Craig Prater, Gregory F. Meyers, Bryant R. LaFreniere
  • Patent number: 7612891
    Abstract: Thin-film thickness and refractive index are measured using the Fourier amplitude of a broadband interferometric spectrum. Due to the smooth nature of the Fourier amplitude as a function of wavelength, as compared to the fast varying Fourier phase conventionally used to measure thickness, increased stability and repeatability of measurement are achieved. As a result, measurements of ultra-thin films with thickness below 100 nm are possible with reliable results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Der-Shen Wan
  • Patent number: 7605925
    Abstract: A broadband interferometric vertical scan of a sample surface is performed to produce interference data in conventional manner. A coarse surface profile of the surface is obtained in real time using a conventional technique, such as a center-of-mass calculation. A fine surface map is obtained concurrently using a quadrature-demodulation algorithm applied in real time to the same interference data used for the coarse surface calculation. The fine surface map is then combined with the coarse surface profile using an unwrapping technique that produces a final surface map with sub-nanometer resolution within a large height range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Dong Chen
  • Patent number: 7596990
    Abstract: 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 preferably achieved by monitoring a lateral force-dependent property of probe operation such as cantilever free end deflection angle and applying a voltage to at least one of the cantilever and one or more separate actuators under feedback to maintain that property constant as the probe-sample spacing decreases. The probe could further uses at least one of contact flexural and torsional resonances characteristics to determine contact and release points. With the knowledge of the tip profile, quantitative mechanical data for probe sample interaction can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Chanmin Su, Nghi Phan, Craig Prater
  • Patent number: 7584653
    Abstract: 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 in response to the applied force over the range of frequencies and analyzed over at least a portion of the wide range of frequencies to determine a mechanical response of the sample, preferably including quality factor and modulus of the sample. The analysis of the motion of the cantilever probe is preferably performed in terms of amplitude, phase, and frequency of both the probe and the sample and preferably, where the applied force is analyzed to determine both a real and an imaginary modulus of a mechanical response of the sample. Preferably, the force is applied so as to produce a minimum of phase and amplitude response variation in the absence of the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: Chanmin Quanmin Su, Sergei Magonov
  • Patent number: 7574903
    Abstract: 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 actuators disposed on the probe or the probe base. First and second actuators may be driven by corresponding first and second drive signals, the first and second drive signals being about 180° out of phase. The maximizing step includes altering at least one of the amplitudes of the first and second drive signals to maximize torsional oscillation. Torsional and flexural oscillation of the cantilever probe can be excited concurrently, sequentially or independently by adjusting the phase of the corresponding drive signals. A pair of cantilever components can be used to form a nanotweezer by rotating the respective arms having corresponding tip portions at the distal ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Chanmin Su, Robert C. Daniels
  • Publication number: 20090205092
    Abstract: A method of producing a probe device for a metrology instrument such as an AFM includes providing a substrate and forming a tip stock extending upwardly from the substrate. The tip stock is preferably FIB milled to form a tip of the probe device. The tip preferably has a high aspect ratio, with a height that is at least about 1 micron for performing critical dimension (e.g., deep trench) atomic force microscopy. The stock is preferably pedestal shaped having a distal end that is substantially planar which can be machined into a tip in at least less than about 2 minutes. With the preferred embodiments, the FIB milling step can be completed in substantially fewer and less complicated steps than known techniques to produce a high aspect ratio tip suitable for DT-AFM in less than about one minute.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2008
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Weijie Wang, Steven Nagle
  • Patent number: 7570368
    Abstract: A method for monitoring the curvature of a surface of a body such as a semiconductor wafer (22) includes directing a beam of light along an impingement axis (36) onto the surface so that a beam of light (41) is reflected from the surface at a point of impingement. The position of the reflected beam (41) is detected in two dimensions (x,y). The body (22) is moved relative to the impingement axis (41) in a direction transverse to the impingement axis and the beam-directing and position determining steps are repeated. The curvature of the surface is calculated from the detected positions of the reflected beam in a plurality of repetitions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments Inc.
    Inventors: Mikhail Belousov, Boris Volf
  • Patent number: 7566883
    Abstract: One or more thermal transfer sheets are easily removable and replaceable in an ion source. The ion source has a removable anode assembly, including the thermal transfer sheets, that is separable and from a base assembly to allow for ease of servicing consumable components of the anode assembly. The thermal transfer sheets may be interposed between the consumable components within the anode assembly. The thermal transfer sheets may be thermally conductive and either electrically insulating or conductive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Veeco Instruments, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Burtner, Scott A. Townsend, Daniel E. Siegfried