Patent ID: 6737646
Filing Date: 2004-05-18
Classification: B82Y,G01Q,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of investigating the diffusive behavior of a molecule, comprising:providing a substrate; providing a stage for holding a substrate; providing an optical microscope objective; providing a scanning probe microscope tip; providing an atmosphere control enclosure defining an enclosed space, wherein said atmosphere control enclosure surrounds said scanning probe microscope tip, said stage for holding a substrate and said substrate, wherein said atmosphere control enclosure surrounds said scanning probe microscope tip and said stage for holding a substrate and wherein said atmosphere control enclosure comprises a top of flexible material having an airtight seal between said flexible too and said optical microscope objective; providing an atmosphere control apparatus wherein said atmosphere control apparatus controls at least one atmospheric parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature, relative humidity and gas composition; coating the tip with a composition comprising the molecule; and evaluating the diffusion of the molecule from the tip to the substrate.