Patent ID: 11927564
Assignee: NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST-NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNO
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 14:
15. An ultrasound acoustic microscopy device comprising:
a carrier for carrying a sample;
a signal generator configured to generate an actuation signal having a frequency of at least 1 GHz to be converted into an ultrasound acoustic signal for transmission;
a scanning head including a cantilever with separate tips for transmitting an acoustic wave into the sample and for receiving acoustic waves reflected from features within the sample, the separate tips comprising:
a transmission tip configured to contact a sample to transmit the ultrasound acoustic signal as an ultrasound acoustic wave into the sample, and
a reception tip, separate from the transmission tip, to contact the sample to receive an acoustic signal resulting from reflections of the ultrasound acoustic wave from within the sample;

a signal processor configured to generate an image signal in response to a sensor signal generated in response to the acoustic signal resulting from reflections received by the reception tip; and
a scanning mechanism configured to displace the scanning head relative to the sample, along a surface of the sample,
wherein the signal generator is configured to generate a further actuation signal having a further frequency of at least 1 GHz, different from the frequency, and
wherein the acoustic signal to be converted is a difference acoustic signal having a frequency corresponding to a difference in the frequency and the further frequency, resulting from a non-linear interaction of the reflections with a further ultrasound signal generated in response to the further actuation signal.