Patents by Inventor Andrew James Dick

Andrew James Dick has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method of operating an atomic force microscope in tapping mode with a reduced impact force
    Patent number: 7856866
    Abstract: In a tapping mode Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) system, a probe is excited at an excitation frequency other than the probe's first natural frequency to produce a response signal manifesting a grazing bifurcation between “non-collision” and “collision” states of the AFM system, so that an additional characteristic frequency component is generated in the “collision” state. The magnitude of the additional characteristic frequency component is monitored in real time, and the probe-sample separation is adjusted to maintain the monitored magnitude at an optimal value to operate the AFM system at near-grazing conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignees: University of Maryland, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Andrew James Dick, Balakumar Balachandran, Hiroshi Yabuno, Masatoshi Numatsu, Keiichi Hayashi, Masaharu Kuroda, Kiwamu Ashida
  • METHOD OF OPERATING AN ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE IN TAPPING MODE WITH A REDUCED IMPACT FORCE
    Publication number: 20090064771
    Abstract: In a tapping mode Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) system, a probe is excited at an excitation frequency other than the probe's first natural frequency to produce a response signal manifesting a grazing bifurcation between “non-collision” and “collision” states of the AFM system, so that an additional characteristic frequency component is generated in the “collision” state. The magnitude of the additional characteristic frequency component is monitored in real time, and the probe-sample separation is adjusted to maintain the monitored magnitude at an optimal value to operate the AFM system at near-grazing conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Andrew James Dick, Balakumar Balachandran, Hiroshi Yabuno, Masatoshi Numatsu, Keiichi Hayashi, Masaharu Kuroda, Kiwamu Ashida