Patent ID: 6435015
Filing Date: 2002-08-20
Classification: B82Y,G01Q,Y10S

Abstract:
A scanning probe microscope comprising:a cantilever having a probe at a tip thereof and being displaceable by a force acting between the probe and a sample surface; displacement detection means of an optical lever type, comprising a semiconductor laser, a lens, and a photodetector element, for illuminating laser light onto the cantilever and detecting the laser light reflected by the cantilever so that deflection of the cantilever may be detected as a positional deviation in reflected light by the photodetector element; a cantilever attaching portion for holding the cantilever by a vacuum suction force; a fine movement mechanism having the cantilever attaching portion attached at a tip thereof to scan the sample surface while controlling the cantilever to be maintained a constant distance from the sample; a Z stage for causing the cantilever to approach the sample; an XY stage for positioning the cantilever at an arbitrary position within a plane of the sample; an optical microscope for observing the cantilever and the sample; a controller for controlling portions of the scanning probe microscope; and a cantilever supply mechanism having a base and an elastically deformable member disposed on the base for holding a supply of cantilevers, the cantilever supply mechanism being positionable by the XY stage to supply a cantilever to the cantilever attaching portion, the elastically deformable member being interposed between the base and a cantilever to be supplied to absorb a force produced when the cantilever attaching portion is brought into contact with the cantilever to be supplied to that full contact between the cantilever attaching portion and the cantilever can be achieved.