Abstract: An indentation is formed by thrusting a probe of a scanning probe microscope for processing, which has a vertical surface or a vertical ridge and is harder than sample material, into sample for measuring the indentation. A high-fidelity AFM observation is performed on the shape of the formed indentation with a thin probe with high aspect ratio, the direction of the vertical surface or the vertical ridge is inspected, and the angle error ? is stored. By rotating a sample stage by an angle corresponding to the measured mounting angle error ? of the probe, the mounting angle error of the probe is corrected in advance.

Abstract: A processing probe capable of repairing a mask-pattern without any damage by preventing electric discharge between the mask patterns, which is caused by electrostatic electrification due to friction between a probe and a mask glass substrate, in repairing a black defect (a convex defect) of a photo-mask with the probe microscope technique is provided. A probe used for mechanically scratching a defective portion is arranged to have conductively. This allows static electricity due to friction in processing to be released from the probe, a cantilever and a cantilever holding member to a square body of an apparatus to prevent electrostatic electrification of a mask glass substrate, and thereby, to prevent electric discharge between mask patterns, so that the mask pattern can be repaired without any damage.

Abstract: In a method for fabricating a nanometer-scale structure by arranging nanotubes in a predetermined direction at a predetermined position, the method for fabricating a nanometer-scale structure comprises a first step of planarizing a substrate by etching a predetermined part by irradiating a focused energy beam to the sample, a second step of decomposing and depositing an organic gas into a columnar structure with an objective of determining the position and direction, and a third step of attaching and fixing the nanotube by using the thus deposited columnar structure as a standard of position and direction.

Abstract: There are disclosed a scanning probe microscope and scanning method capable of reducing or avoiding damage due to collision between a probe tip and a sample, shortening the measuring time, improving the throughput and measuring accuracy, and collecting observational data such as topographic data about the sample surface without being affected by an adhesive water layer. The microscope has a vibration unit for vibrating the probe tip, an observation unit for collecting observational data when the tip is in proximity or contact with the sample surface, a detector for detecting a variation in the state of vibration of the tip when it is in proximity or contact with the sample surface, and a control unit for controlling movement of the tip in X- and Y-directions parallel to the sample surface and in a Z-direction vertical to the sample surface.

Abstract: A probe for a scanning probe microscope has a cantilever portion and a microscopic probe portion formed of a solid columnar tip at a distal end of the cantilever portion by deposition using an organic gas decomposed by a focused ion beam inside a vacuum chamber. The probe is sufficiently narrow and has high abrasion resistance and rigidity. The tip may be grown to extend from the cantilever portion at an angle shifted by an angle at which the cantilever portion is inclined during scanning of the probe portion across a sample surface, so that the columnar tip is perpendicular to the sample surface during the scanning. The tip may be formed of a conductive material such as tungsten of diamond-like carbon by FIB-CVD.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method and device thereof that captures microscopic magnetic signals such as those developed by electrical current flowing inside a circuit that is miniaturized to less than sub-micron order, and to evaluate the circuit.

Abstract: When trying to check the lamination structure of devices advanced in scaling and integration, SEM observation is insufficient in resolution. TEM observation presents a problem such that high throughputs cannot be achieved because it is required to prepare a sample for TEM observation. To include: a focused ion beam apparatus for processing a sample surface and preparing a sample chip; a pick-up apparatus for picking up the sample chip; a sample chip holder for securing the sample chip picked up; an argon ion beam irradiating apparatus for etching a surface of the sample chip secured to the sample chip holder with an argon ion beam; and a SPM for observing the surface of the sample chip secured to the sample chip holder.

Abstract: A conductive probe for a scanning type microscope that captures the substance information of the surface of a specimen by the tip end of a conductive nanotube probe needle fastened to a cantilever, in which the conductive probe is constructed from a conductive film formed on the surface of the cantilever, a conductive nonatube with its base end portion being fixed in contact which the surface of a predetermined of the cantilever, and a conductive deposit which fastens the conductive nanotube by covering from the base end portion of the nonatube to a part of the conductive film. The conductive nonatube and the conductive film are electrically connected to each other by the conductive deposit.

Abstract: A system for surface or cross-sectional processing and observation and a method of surface or cross-sectional processing and observation using the system. The system has a unit for processing a sample surface to expose a target surface or cross section and a scanning probe microscope unit for observing the exposed surface or cross section. According to the system and method, a scanning probe microscope capable of providing different kinds of information is used to form at least one target surface or cross section in a sample surface and to observe the target surface or cross section. This offers the following advantages: a spatial resolution comparable to that of a transmission electron microscope can be achieved; and electric, magnetic, and mechanical information for a target sample plane, which couldn't be obtained by the known method, can be monitored in a shorter operating time.

Abstract: A scanning type microscope that captures substance information of the surface of a specimen by the tip end of a nanotube probe needle fastened to a cantilever, in which an organic gas is decomposed by a focused ion beam in a focused ion beam apparatus, and the nanotube is bonded to the cantilever with a deposit of the decomposed component thus produced. With this probe, the quality of the nanotube probe needle can be improved by removing an unnecessary deposit adhering to the nanotube tip end portion using a ion beam, by cutting an unnecessary part of the nanotube in order to control length of the probe needle and by injecting ions into the tip end portion of the nanotube.

Abstract: A cantilever for a vertical scanning type microscope that obtains substance information of a surface of a specimen by a tip end of a nanotube probe needle fastened to the cantilever, in which the cantilever has a fixing region to which a base end portion of a nanotube serving as a probe needle is fastened, and a height direction of the fixing region is set to be substantially perpendicular to a mean surface of the specimen when the cantilever is disposed in a measuring state with respect to the mean surface of the specimen; and the base end portion of the nanotube is bonded in the height direction of the fixing region.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method and device thereof that captures microscopic magnetic signals such as those developed by electrical current flowing inside a circuit that is miniaturized to less than sub-micron order, and to evaluate the circuit.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope has a cantilever section comprised of a single cantilever chip, at least one first conductive cantilever having a first probe at a free end thereof and extending from the single cantilever chip, and at least one second cantilever extending from the single cantilever chip and disposed in side-by-side relation to the first conductive cantilever. The second cantilever has a second probe at a free end thereof and a length shorter than that of the first conductive cantilever. A Z-direction rough movement mechanism moves the first conductive cantilever in the Z-direction at a first velocity to bring the first probe into contact with a surface of a sample. The Z-direction rough movement mechanism moves the second cantilever in the Z-direction at a second velocity lower than the first velocity when the first probe contacts the surface of the sample to bring the second probe in the vicinity of the surface of the sample for measuring a shape of the surface of the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides a probe, for a probe scanning microscope, with a structure that has high abrasion resistance and required rigidity as well as being mechanically narrow, that is attached to one end of a cantilever so that a tip makes vertical contact with a sample surface, made of a material that is conductive and has good measurement reproducibility with stable resolution.

Abstract: A probe for vertical scanning microscope in which the forward end of a nanotube, serving as a probe, abuts against the sample surface substantially perpendicularly thereto and detects the surface information of the sample with high sensitivity.

Abstract: A measuring method and apparatus of a scanning probe microscope which is easy to initially set caused by exchanging a cantilever. A cantilever is effected of Z rough movement while forcibly vibrating a sample. When a contact pressure of the cantilever against the sample becomes a predetermined magnitude, the Z rough movement is ended. The forcible vibrational frequency may be a new resonant frequency caused by contacting the cantilever with the sample, or a shift resonant frequency. Then, XY scanning is effected to measure while putting the cantilever into light contact with a sample surface. It is possible to use, as an apparatus to forcibly vibrate the cantilever, a multi-layer piezoelectric element that responds to an output signal from an oscillator for outputting a signal at a predetermined frequency.

Abstract: To provide a minute foreign matter analysis method and device wherein the observation, analysis and estimation of minute foreign matter is permitted by linking the device coordinate of a particle inspection device and those of other analysis devices with by far higher accuracy.

Abstract: A scanning probe microscope comprises a cantilever having a probe at an end portion thereof. A scanning signal generating device generates a main scanning signal and a sub-scanning signal. A main scanning device scans the probe along a main scanning direction over a sample surface in accordance with the main scanning signal. A sub-scanning device scans the probe along a sub-scanning direction over the sample surface in accordance with the sub-scanning signal. A Z-direction fine moving device moves the probe in a fine movement in the Z direction with respect to the sample surface maintains the probe at a predetermined distance from the sample surface. At least two of the main scanning device, the sub-scanning device, and the Z-direction fine moving device comprise voice coil motors. Each of the voice coil motors has a stator having a groove and a movable member extending into the groove for undergoing movement therein.

Abstract: To enable observation, analysis and evaluation of minute foreign substances by adopting a method for enabling performance of linkage between equipment coordinates of a particle examination equipment and apparatus coordinates of an analyzing apparatus such as SEM which is not a particle examination equipment with a precision higher than that with which coordinate linkage is performed between conventional equipment and apparatus coordinates. An analyzing method for analyzing minute foreign substances comprises the steps of determining the position of a minute foreign substance on the surface of a sample in a particle examination equipment, transferring the sample to a coordinate stage of an analyzing apparatus and inputting the position of the minute foreign substance determined by the particle examination equipment to thereby analyze the contents of this minute foreign substance.

Abstract: A signal having a resonant frequency of a cantilever is output by a first oscillator, and supplied to a vibrating element and a control unit to oscillate a probe. A low frequency signal having a large amplitude is output by a second oscillator and supplied to a piezoelectric scanning apparatus. The probe is periodically and relatively moved with respect to the sample between a position where the sample surface is penetrated by the probe and another position where the probe does not penetrate the sample surface and is outside the range of atomic forces caused by the sample. During this movement, the probe movement may be analyzed to obtain a plurality of physical characteristics about the sample, e.g.