초록 ▼

A light-scattering optical system is incorporated in an AFM instrument for a large sample. The instrument is equipped with an optical microscope. Incident light is introduced into the optical microscope to provide a dark field. The incident angle to the surface of a sample is made variable. The inci

A light-scattering optical system is incorporated in an AFM instrument for a large sample. The instrument is equipped with an optical microscope. Incident light is introduced into the optical microscope to provide a dark field. The incident angle to the surface of a sample is made variable. The incident light is introduced into the main enclosure of the AFM through two optical fibers. Light reflected from the surface of the sample is received by a detector split into two parts. The dark field microscope is automatically brought to focus in response to signals from the detector. The whole apparatus is enclosed in a sound-insulating dark box to enhance the S/N during detection of scattered light.

대표청구항 ▼

In a scanning probe microscope with aligning function, said scanning probe microscope having an xyz-stage on which a sample is placed and which moves said sample, an atomic force microscope (AFM) equipped with a cantilever having a probe at its free end, the probe being scanned along a surface of sa

In a scanning probe microscope with aligning function, said scanning probe microscope having an xyz-stage on which a sample is placed and which moves said sample, an atomic force microscope (AFM) equipped with a cantilever having a probe at its free end, the probe being scanned along a surface of said sample for measuring topography of said sample, an optical microscope having an optical axis spaced a given distance from said cantilever, the optical microscope being adapted to observe said sample surface, and light-illuminating portions for illuminating said sample surface from an oblique direction, the improvement wherein said optical microscope is located in a dark field portion for light incident on said light-illuminating portions, and wherein angle of said incident light with said sample surface or direction of said optical microscope can be varied at will.