Patent ID: 7111504
Filing Date: 2006-09-26
Classification: G01Q

Abstract:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a sample stage to support a sample; a cantilever mount to mechanically fix a mechanical cantilever having a scanning tip; a cantilever-force detector to produce an electronic cantilever-force error signal; a cantilever feedback system configured to electromechanically drive the mechanical cantilever in a manner responsive to the cantilever-force error signal; and a sample stage feedback system configured to electromechanically displace the sample stage in a manner responsive to the cantilever-force error signal, the cantilever feedback system and the sample stage feedback system being connected to receive the cantilever-force error signal in parallel; and wherein the cantilever feedback system includes an electrical high-pass filter, the filter being configured to produce a filtered driving signal responsive to the cantilever-force error signal and having a lower frequency cutoff below a resonance frequency for mechanical oscillations of the stage.