Patent ID: 9568495
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: G01Q

Claim:
1. A non-destructive method of surface chemical analysis of a sample, the method comprising the following steps: (a) providing a device comprising a computer, a scanning probe microscope (SPM) operably linked with an optical spectrometer so that said device is capable of die following operations: (i) programmable switching while scanning of die sample's surface between at least two regimes of scanning probe microscope operation; (ii) relocating either the sample or a probe of said microscope for changing a position of said probe in any of three dimensions in each of said two regimes, said position of the probe defined relative to said sample; (iii) placing a tip of said probe at a first point on the surface of said sample and illuminating said sharp tip of said probe with a focused laser beam; (iv) collecting a light emitted from said surface proximate to said tip for spectrometric analysis provided by said optical spectrometer; and (v) storing in a memory of said computer both current coordinates of the probe and results of said spectrometric analysis obtained at said current coordinates; (b) initiating a first regime of said scanning probe microscope, said first regime including placing said tip located at the first point of the surface resulting in: (i) raising said tip off said surface normal to said surface fin the “Z dimension” or “Z axis′”), and (ii) keeping at least a predetermined minimum distance between said tip and said surface for preventing damage of either the tip or the sample; (c) moving either the probe or the sample to locate said tip of the probe over another point of the sample to be analyzed; (d) establishing a Z (e) storing in said memory of said computer, the Z (f) initiating a second regime of said scanning probe microscope, said second regime comprising such change in the Z-position of the probe such that the probe gets a new Z-position=Z (i) said new Z-position is suitable for a tip enhanced Raman scattering of the light emitted from proximity of said tip than Z (ii) said new Z-position results in no damage to both the tip and the sample; (g) illuminating said tip of said probe with said focused laser beam resulting in emission of light from the proximity of said sharp tip: (h) collecting the light emitted from tire proximity of said tip; (i) initiating data recording in said memory of said computer, said data obtained from spectrometric analysis of said light by said optical spectrometer, said recording continuing for a predetermined time interval; (j) storing in said computer memory both coordinates of the probe corresponding to said another point of analysis and data recording accumulated during step (i); and (k) returning to step (b) for providing surface chemical analysis in next at another point of the surface of the sample.