JP6000632B2 - Scanning probe microscope and operation method thereof - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a scanning probe microscope.

  A scanning probe microscope (SPM) is a scanning microscope that obtains information on the surface of a sample by mechanically scanning a mechanical probe with a scanning mechanism, and includes a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM). , Scanning magnetic force microscope (MFM), scanning near-field light microscope (SNOM), etc. The scanning probe microscope raster-scans the mechanical probe and the sample relatively in the XY directions, obtains surface information of a desired sample region via the mechanical probe, and displays the mapping on the monitor TV.

  Among them, the AFM is the most widely used device, and cantilever having a mechanical probe at its free end, an optical displacement sensor for detecting the displacement of the cantilever, and relatively scanning the mechanical probe and the sample. A scanning mechanism is provided as a main mechanical mechanism. As the optical displacement sensor, an optical lever type optical displacement sensor is most widely used because of its simple structure and high displacement detection sensitivity. The cantilever is irradiated with a light beam with a diameter of several μm to several tens of μm, and the reflection direction of the reflected light changes according to the warp of the lever using a two-part optical detector, etc. The probe operation is captured and output as an electrical signal. While controlling the scanning mechanism in the Z direction so that this output is constant, the scanning mechanism is similarly scanned in the XY direction, thereby mapping and displaying the uneven state of the sample surface on the computer monitor.

  Such an AFM is generally mounted on a sample stage. In many cases, the AFM is mounted on a sample stage of an optical microscope and used in combination with the optical microscope. This is because optical microscope observation is effective not only for obtaining knowledge of a sample but also for positioning a cantilever at a specific part of the sample. In such an AFM, a lever scan type in which the cantilever is scanned in XYZ is often used so as to cope with various samples. A lever scan type AFM measuring head is placed on a sample stage of an optical microscope to simultaneously observe the sample.

Special table 2010-521893

  When placing the sample on the sample stage, it is necessary to remove the AFM measuring head from the sample stage. When attaching the cantilever, it is necessary to turn over the AFM measuring head.

  JP-T-2010-521593 discloses an example of a conventional AFM measuring head.

  In the conventional AFM measuring head, when removing the measuring head or turning the measuring head over, it is difficult to work and there is a risk of dropping the AFM measuring head. In particular, when the AFM measurement head is mounted on the sample stage of an optical microscope, the risk is increased because the position of the measurement head is high. This applies not only to AFM but also to scanning probe microscopes in general.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a scanning probe microscope that can safely remove the measuring head from the sample stage and turn it over.

The scanning probe microscope according to the present invention includes a measurement head mounted on a sample stage on which a sample substrate having a sample is mounted . The measurement head includes a cantilever having a probe at a free end, a scanning mechanism that scans the cantilever three-dimensionally, and a housing that holds the scanning mechanism. The scanning probe microscope further includes a rotation mechanism that rotatably supports the measurement head, and a handle provided on the housing. The measurement head is connected to an installation table on which the sample stage is installed via the rotation mechanism.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the scanning probe microscope which can remove a measurement head safely from a sample stage and turn it over is provided.

It is a front view of the scanning probe microscope of a first embodiment. It is a side view of the principal part of the scanning probe microscope of a first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the handle shown in Fig. 1. The detailed structure of the connection part shown by FIG. 1, a hinge, and a support | pillar is shown. The mode that the measuring head shown in FIG. 1 is rotationally moved is shown. The modification of the scanning probe microscope of 1st embodiment with which the hinge was attached to the mirror body is shown. It is a front view of the modification of the scanning probe microscope of 1st embodiment provided with the stop member in which a hinge restrict | limits a rotation angle. It is a side view of the principal part of the modification of the scanning probe microscope of 1st embodiment provided with the stop member in which a hinge restrict | limits a rotation angle. It is a front view of the modification of the scanning probe microscope of 1st embodiment provided with the knob-shaped handle. It is a side view of the principal part of the modification of the scanning probe microscope of 1st embodiment provided with the knob-shaped handle. The scanning probe microscope of 2nd embodiment in which a male type fitting member and a female type fitting member are in a separated state is shown. The scanning probe microscope of 2nd embodiment which has a male type fitting member and a female type fitting member in a coupling state is shown. The male type | mold fitting member and female type fitting member which were shown by FIG. 11 are expanded and shown. The male type fitting member and female type fitting member which were shown by FIG. 12 are expanded and shown. FIG. 13 shows a state in which the measuring head shown in FIG. 12 is rotated. The modification of the scanning probe microscope of 2nd embodiment with which the male type fitting member and the female type fitting member were provided between the hinge and the support | pillar is shown. The flow of the operation | movement applied to the AFM measurement from the measurement preparation in the scanning probe microscope of 2nd embodiment is shown. The scanning probe microscope of 3rd embodiment which has a rotating shaft and a bearing in the isolation | separation state is shown. The scanning probe microscope of 3rd embodiment which has a rotating shaft and a bearing in the connection state is shown. FIG. 20 shows a state in which the measuring head shown in FIG. 19 has been rotated. The flow of the operation | movement applied to the AFM measurement from the measurement preparation in the scanning probe microscope of 3rd embodiment is shown. The modification example of the scanning probe microscope applicable to all embodiment with which the sample stage was fixed to the installation base via the some support | pillar is shown.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<First embodiment>
The configuration of the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment is shown in FIGS. FIG. 1 is a front view of the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the main part of the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment is an atomic force microscope (AFM), and includes a measurement head 14 mounted on a sample stage 22 and a controller that controls the measurement head 14. 15 and a computer (PC) 16 for processing the measurement results.

  The sample stage 22 may be a part of an optical microscope, for example. That is, the sample stage 22 may be included in the optical microscope. Here, the optical microscope is an inverted optical microscope. The inverted optical microscope includes a base 26 such as a surface plate and a mirror body 20 attached to the base 26. The mirror body 20 and the base 26 constitute an installation base on which the sample stage 22 is installed.

  The inverted optical microscope also includes an objective lens 23, a revolver 24 that holds the objective lens 23, an eyepiece 21, and an illumination light source 25. In FIG. 1, illustration of the eyepiece unit 21 is omitted. The sample stage 22 is movable in at least one axial direction, and is normally movable in two axial directions. The sample stage 22 is fixed to the mirror body 20. The objective lens 23 and the eyepiece 21 work together to form an observation optical system that forms an enlarged optical image of the sample 1.

  A sample substrate 2 such as a slide glass holding the sample 1 is placed on the sample stage 22. In the present embodiment, the AFM is a lever scan type in-liquid observation AFM, and the solution 4 is held between the sample substrate 2 and the measurement head 14.

  The measuring head 14 includes a cantilever 3 having a probe at a free end, a cantilever holder 6 that holds the cantilever 3, a laser light source 10 that constitutes an optical lever type displacement sensor that measures the displacement of the cantilever 3, a condenser lens 9, and light. A detector 11, a Z scanner 7 and an XY scanner 8 constituting an XYZ scanning mechanism for three-dimensionally scanning the cantilever 3 with respect to the sample 1, and a housing 12 holding an optical lever type displacement sensor and an XYZ scanning mechanism. A support column 13 for supporting the housing 12 on the sample stage 22, and a window glass 5 provided in the housing 12 for protecting the optical lever displacement sensor and the XYZ scanning mechanism from the solution 4. .

  A cantilever holder 6 that holds the cantilever 3 is attached to the free end of the Z scanner 7. The fixed end of the Z scanner 7 is held by the XY scanner 8 and is scanned in XY. The condensing lens 9 is also held by the XY scanner 8 and is XY scanned together with the Z scanner 7. In this way, the XY scanner 8, the Z scanner 7, the cantilever holder 6, the cantilever 3, and the condenser lens 9 constitute a detection light tracking type lever scanning mechanism.

  The condenser lens 9 has an optical characteristic of NA = 0.4 or more so that a spot diameter formed on the cantilever 3 is several μm or less. Further, in order to enable high-speed scanning, the condensing lens 9 is configured to be small and light, and its diameter is 10 mm or less, preferably 5 mm or less.

  The XYZ scanning mechanism and the optical lever type displacement sensor are controlled by the controller 15. The measurement result is processed by the PC 16, and the processing result is displayed on a monitor TV, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the scanning probe microscope according to the present embodiment further includes a handle 30 provided in the housing 12, a hinge 34 that is a rotation mechanism that rotatably supports the measurement head 14, and the housing 12. And a connecting portion 31 that connects the rotating ends of the hinge 34, a support column 32 that holds the fixed end of the hinge 34, and a stop rod 33 for supporting the inverted measurement head 14.

  Both the column 32 and the stop rod 33 are erected on the base 26. That is, the measurement head 14 is connected to the installation base via the hinge 34 that is a rotation mechanism and the support column 32 that holds the hinge 34.

  The handle 30 has, for example, a handle shape as shown in FIG.

  The detailed structure of the connecting portion 31, the hinge 34, and the support column 32 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, the connection surface 35 of the coupling portion 31 is a connection surface with the housing 12. The hinge 34 includes two hinges 34 </ b> A and a hinge 34 </ b> B, and the rotation ends of the hinges 34 are fixed to the connecting portion 31 with screws.

  Moreover, the support | pillar 32 also consists of two support | pillar 32A and support | pillar 32B, and the fixed end of hinge 34A and hinge 34B is screw-fixed to each upper end.

  The hinge 34 includes a damping mechanism (not shown) that provides resistance to rotational movement. The damping mechanism is not particularly limited, such as a spring type, a friction type, and an oil type.

  In the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment configured as described above, in order to place the sample 1 (including replacement) and / or attach the cantilever 3 (including replacement), as shown in FIG. The measuring head 14 can be rotated about the rotation axis of the hinge 34. This rotational movement is stopped when the handle 30 comes into contact with the upper end 33 a of the stop rod 33. That is, the stop rod 33 has a function as a stopper that limits the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism. The rotating operation at this time is performed by grasping the handle 30. In this way, the measurement head 14 can be safely and easily removed from the sample stage 22 and the measurement head 14 can be safely and easily turned over and supported. Thereby, the work of placing the sample 1 and attaching the cantilever 3 can be easily performed. Moreover, it is freed from the danger of dropping the measuring head 14. Further, the occurrence of positional deviation of the cantilever 3 and the occurrence of positional deviation of the laser light source 10, the condensing lens 9, and the optical detector 11 constituting the optical lever displacement sensor are reduced.

  In this embodiment, instead of providing the support column 32 for holding the fixed end of the hinge 34 on the base 26, as shown in FIG. 6, a support body 37 for holding the fixed end of the hinge 34 is provided in the mirror body 20. You may attach to. That is, the measuring head 14 is connected to the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26) via a hinge 34 that is a rotation mechanism and a support body 37 that holds the hinge 34.

  In the present embodiment, the hinge 34 may have a function as a stopper for limiting the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism. For example, instead of providing the stop rod 33, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a stop member 40 is provided at the fixed end of the hinge 34, and the rotation end of the housing 12 and the hinge 34 is respectively connected to the surface 40 a of the stop member 40. The rotational movement of the measuring head 14 may be stopped by contacting the surface 40b.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the handle is not limited to the handle 30 having the handle shape as shown in FIG. For example, as in the example of FIGS. 9 and 10, a knob-shaped handle 41 may be provided on the surface of the housing 12 on the front side of the microscope. This makes it possible to reduce the movement of a person when the measuring head 14 is rotationally moved, and the work becomes easier. In this case, the rotational movement of the measuring head 14 may be stopped using the stop member 40 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, or the handle 30 and the stop rod 33 shown in FIG. You may go. Of course, the upper end 33a of the stop rod 33 may contact the housing 12 to stop the rotational movement of the measuring head 14.

<Second embodiment>
The configuration of the scanning probe microscope of this embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment is characterized by a connecting portion that connects the housing 12 and the hinge 34.

  The connecting portion of the present embodiment includes a male fitting member 51 provided on the housing 12 and a female fitting member 52 provided on the hinge 34. The male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 can be coupled and separated from each other. The male fitting member 51 is provided with a receiving member 53. The female fitting member 52 is provided with a hanging member 54. The receiving member 53 and the hanging member 54 constitute a lock mechanism for fixing the coupling between the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52.

  FIG. 12 shows a state in which the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 are coupled and the coupling is locked by the receiving member 53 and the hanging member 54.

  The coupling and separation of the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 are performed by moving the measuring head 14 by the sample stage 22. The male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 are coupled to the female fitting member 52 provided on the hinge 34 by using the male fitting member 51 provided on the housing 12 by using the sample stage 22. This is done by going closer. By the coupling of the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52, the hinge 34 as a rotation mechanism is connected to the measuring head 14 via the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52. As a result, the measuring head 14 is connected to the base 26 via a rotation mechanism including a hinge 34. Further, the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 are separated from each other by using the sample fitting 22 and the male fitting member 51 provided on the hinge 12. This is done by moving away from 52.

  FIG. 13 shows details of a state where the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 are separated. FIG. 14 shows details of a state in which the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 are coupled. 13 and 14, the connection surface 57 of the male fitting member 51 is a connection surface with the housing 12. The hinge 34 includes two hinges 34 </ b> A and a hinge 34 </ b> B, and the respective rotation ends are screw-fixed to the female fitting member 52. Moreover, the support | pillar 32 also consists of two support | pillar 32A and support | pillar 32B, and the fixed end of hinge 34A and hinge 34B is screw-fixed to each upper end.

  On the coupling surface of the male fitting member 51, two columnar protrusions 55A and 55B which are male fitting portions are provided. A receiving member 53 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the male fitting member 51.

  On the coupling surface of the female fitting member 52, two circular holes 56A and 56B that are female fitting portions are provided. A hanging member 54 is provided at the center of the upper surface of the male fitting member 51.

  In such a configuration, the two cylindrical projections 55A and 55B of the male fitting member 51 are inserted into the two circular holes 56A and 56B of the female fitting member 52, respectively. 51 and the female fitting member 52 are coupled. As a result, a connecting portion that connects the measuring head 14 and the hinge 34 that is a rotation mechanism is constituted by the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52. Further, the hinge 34 which is a rotation mechanism is connected to the measuring head 14 through this connecting portion including the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52.

  After the coupling, the coupling member 54 is locked by hooking the hanging member 54 in the groove provided in the receiving member 53.

  In the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 15, in order to place the sample 1 (including replacement) and / or attach the cantilever 3 (including replacement), The measuring head 14 can be rotated about the rotation axis of the hinge 34. This rotational movement is stopped when the handle 30 comes into contact with the upper end 33 a of the stop rod 33. That is, the stop rod 33 has a function as a stopper that limits the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism. Further, the rotating operation at this time is performed by grasping the handle 30. In this way, the measurement head 14 can be safely and easily removed from the sample stage 22, and the measurement head 14 can be turned over and supported. Thereby, the work of placing the sample 1 and attaching the cantilever 3 can be easily performed. Moreover, it is freed from the danger of dropping the measuring head 14. Further, the occurrence of positional deviation of the cantilever 3 and the occurrence of positional deviation of the laser light source 10, the condensing lens 9, and the optical detector 11 constituting the optical lever displacement sensor are reduced.

  Furthermore, in the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment, the connecting portion of the housing 12 and the hinge 34 is constituted by the male fitting member 51 and the male fitting member 51 and can be separated from each other. That is, the housing 12 and the hinge 34 can be separated. As a result, during the AFM measurement, extra mechanical elements can be separated, which is effective in reducing disturbance vibration noise to the AFM.

  The scanning probe microscope of this embodiment is operated as follows from the measurement preparation to the AFM measurement according to the flow shown in FIG.

  From the initial state where the measurement head 14 is mounted on the sample stage 22, the measurement head 14 is moved using the sample stage 22 to couple the male fitting member 51 and the male fitting member 51. As a result, the measuring head 14 and the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26) are connected to each other via a hinge 34 that is a rotating mechanism and a support 32 that holds the hinge 34.

  Subsequently, the hanging member 54 is hooked on the receiving member 53 to lock the connection between the measuring head 14 and the installation base (the mirror body 20, the base 26, and the support column 32).

  The handle 30 is grasped and the measuring head 14 is rotated until the stopper works (that is, the handle 30 contacts the stop bar 33). As a result, the measuring head 14 is supported in an inverted state.

  The sample 1 is placed on the sample stage 22 and / or the cantilever 3 is attached to the measurement head 14.

  After placing the sample 1 and / or attaching the cantilever 3, the measurement head 14 is mounted on the sample stage 22 by grasping the handle 30 and rotating the measurement head 14.

  The hanging member 54 is removed from the receiving member 53, and the connection lock between the measuring head 14 and the installation base (the mirror body 20, the base 26, and the support column 32) is released.

  The measurement head 14 is moved using the sample stage 22 to separate the male fitting member 51 and the male fitting member 51. As a result, the connection between the measurement head 14 and the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26) is released.

  AFM measurement is started.

  In this embodiment, instead of providing the support column 32 for holding the fixed end of the hinge 34 on the base 26, the support body 37 for holding the fixed end of the hinge 34 is a mirror body as in the example of FIG. 20 may be attached. In this configuration, by connecting the male fitting member 51 and the male fitting member 51, the measuring head 14 is a connecting portion constituted by the male fitting member 51 and the male fitting member 51 and a rotation mechanism. It is connected to an installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26) via a hinge 34 and a support body 37 that holds the hinge 34.

  In the present embodiment, the hinge 34 may have a function as a stopper for limiting the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism. For example, instead of providing the stop rod 33, as in the example of FIGS. 7 and 8, the stop member 40 is provided at the fixed end of the hinge 34, and the rotation end of the housing 12 and the hinge 34 is the surface 40a of the stop member 40, respectively. Further, the rotational movement of the measuring head 14 may be stopped by contacting the surface 40b.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the handle is not limited to the handle 30 having the handle shape as shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a knob-shaped handle 41 may be provided on the surface of the housing 12 on the front side of the microscope. This makes it possible to reduce the movement of a person when the measuring head 14 is rotationally moved, and the work becomes easier. In this case, the rotational movement of the measuring head 14 may be stopped using the stop member 40 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, or the handle 30 and the stop rod 33 shown in FIG. You may go. Of course, the upper end 33a of the stop rod 33 may contact the housing 12 to stop the rotational movement of the measuring head 14.

  In addition, in this embodiment, instead of providing the connecting portion constituted by the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52 between the housing 12 and the hinge 34, it is provided between the hinge 34 and the support column 32. May be. That is, the connection of the housing 12 -the connecting portion (male fitting member 51 -female fitting member 52) -the rotation end of the hinge 34 -the rotation axis of the hinge 34 -the fixed end of the hinge 34 -the support column 32 is illustrated in FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, the connection of the housing 12-the rotation end of the hinge 34-the rotation axis of the hinge 34-the fixed end of the hinge 34-the connecting portion (female fitting member 52-male fitting member 51)-the support column 32 The same effect can be obtained by changing to. In any case, the measuring head 14 is connected to the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26 via the connecting portion including the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52, the hinge 34 and the support column 32, which are rotating mechanisms. ) Are connected. In other words, the hinge 34 that is a rotation mechanism is connected to the measuring head 14 or the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26 through the connecting portion (and the support column 32) including the male fitting member 51 and the female fitting member 52. ).

<Third embodiment>
The configuration of the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment is characterized by a rotation mechanism including a rotation shaft 60 and a bearing 61.

  The connecting portion of the present embodiment includes a rotating shaft 60 provided in the housing 12 and a bearing 61 held by a support column 62 erected on the base 26. The rotating shaft 60 and the bearing 61 can be coupled and separated from each other. In this configuration, the installation base includes the column 62 in addition to the mirror body 20 and the base 26. The rotating shaft 60 is provided on the side opposite to the handle 30 of the housing 12. This shape is, for example, a handle type like the handle 30 shown in FIG.

  The bearing 61 is made of an elastic member such as resin and has an opening that is smaller than the shaft diameter of the rotating shaft 60. Thereby, the coupling between the rotating shaft 60 and the bearing 61 is difficult to come off. That is, a locked state can be created. The bearing 61 gives resistance to the rotating shaft 60 when the rotating shaft 60 rotates. That is, the rotation mechanism composed of the rotation shaft 60 and the bearing 61 has both a lock mechanism and a damping mechanism.

  FIG. 19 shows a state where the rotary shaft 60 and the bearing 61 are coupled.

  The rotating shaft 60 and the bearing 61 are coupled and separated by moving the measuring head 14 by the sample stage 22. The rotation shaft 60 and the bearing 61 are coupled by using the sample stage 22 to bring the handle-type rotation shaft 60 provided on the housing 12 closer to the bearing 61 held by the support 62. As a result, the measuring head 14 is connected to the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26) via a rotation mechanism composed of the rotation shaft 60 and the bearing 61 and a support 62 that holds the rotation mechanism. Further, the rotation shaft 60 and the bearing 61 are separated by moving the handle-type rotation shaft 60 provided on the housing 12 away from the bearing 61 held by the support 62 using the sample stage 22.

  In the scanning probe microscope of the present embodiment configured as described above, in order to place the sample 1 (including replacement) and / or attach the cantilever 3 (including replacement), as shown in FIG. The measuring head 14 can be rotated about the rotation axis of a rotation mechanism configured by combining the rotation shaft 60 and the bearing 61. This rotational movement is stopped when the handle 30 comes into contact with the upper end 33 a of the stop rod 33. That is, the stop rod 33 has a function as a stopper that limits the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism. Further, the rotating operation at this time is performed by grasping the handle 30. In this way, the measurement head 14 can be safely and easily removed from the sample stage 22, and the measurement head 14 can be turned over and supported. Thereby, the work of placing the sample 1 and attaching the cantilever 3 can be easily performed. Moreover, it is freed from the danger of dropping the measuring head 14. Further, the occurrence of positional deviation of the cantilever 3 and the occurrence of positional deviation of the laser light source 10, the condensing lens 9, and the optical detector 11 constituting the optical lever displacement sensor are reduced.

  Furthermore, in the scanning probe microscope of this embodiment, the rotating shaft 60 and the bearing 61 can be separated. That is, the housing 12 and the bearing 61 can be separated. As a result, during the AFM measurement, extra mechanical elements can be separated, which is effective in reducing disturbance vibration noise to the AFM.

  The scanning probe microscope of this embodiment is operated as follows from the measurement preparation to the AFM measurement according to the flow shown in FIG.

  From the initial state where the measurement head 14 is mounted on the sample stage 22, the measurement head 14 is moved using the sample stage 22 to couple the rotary shaft 60 and the bearing 61. As a result, the measurement head 14 and the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26) are connected to each other through a rotation mechanism composed of the rotation shaft 60 and the bearing 61 and a support 62 that holds the rotation mechanism.

  The handle 30 is grasped and the measuring head 14 is rotated until the stopper works (that is, the handle 30 contacts the stop bar 33). As a result, the measuring head 14 is supported in an inverted state.

  The sample 1 is placed on the sample stage 22 and / or the cantilever 3 is attached to the measurement head 14.

  After placing the sample 1 and / or attaching the cantilever 3, the measurement head 14 is mounted on the sample stage 22 by grasping the handle 30 and rotating the measurement head 14.

  The measuring head 14 is moved using the sample stage 22 to separate the rotating shaft 60 and the bearing 61. As a result, the connection between the measurement head 14 and the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26) is released.

  AFM measurement is started.

  In the present embodiment, instead of providing a support column for holding the bearing 61 on the base 26, a support body 37 for holding the bearing 61 may be attached to the mirror body 20 as in the example of FIG. 6. In this configuration, the installation base includes the support body 37 in addition to the mirror body 20 and the base 26. That is, by connecting the rotary shaft 60 and the bearing 61, the measuring head 14 is placed on the installation base (the mirror body 20 and the base 26 through the rotary mechanism constituted by the rotary shaft 60 and the bearing 61 and the support body 37 holding the rotary mechanism. ).

  In the present embodiment, the bearing 61 may have a function as a stopper that limits the rotation angle of the rotation mechanism. For example, instead of providing the stop rod 33, a stop member that performs the same function as the stop member 40 in the examples of FIGS. 7 and 8 is provided in the bearing 61, and the housing 12 abuts against the stop member, whereby the measurement head The rotational movement of 14 may be stopped.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the handle is not limited to the handle 30 having the handle shape as shown in FIG.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also good. The various modifications and changes described here include an implementation in which the above-described embodiments are appropriately combined.

  For example, in the embodiment, the AFM is described as being an in-liquid observation AFM. However, the AFM may be an in-atmosphere AFM, and in this case, the same effect can be obtained.

  Although the scanning probe microscope has been described as being an atomic force microscope (AFM), it is not limited to the AFM, and may be a scanning probe microscope of a type other than the AFM. Similar effects can be obtained.

  There may be any number of connecting parts, hinges, columns, lock mechanisms, etc.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 22, the sample stage 22 may be directly held by a plurality of columns 70 provided on the base 26, and the sample stage 22 and the optical microscope body 20 may be separated. In this configuration, the sample stage 22 is fixed to a support column 70 and a support column 71 erected on the base 26. That is, the sample stage 22 is fixed to the base 26 via the support column 70 and the support column 71. Such fixing of the sample stage 22 to the base 26 has an effect of making it difficult to transmit vibration generated by the operation of the mirror 20 and the revolver 24 during observation with an optical microscope to the measurement head 14 of the AFM.

  FIG. 22 shows an example in which the fixing of the sample stage 22 to the base 26 is applied to the scanning probe microscope shown in FIG. 11, for example, but the fixing of the sample stage 22 to the base 26 is performed by other scanning. The present invention may be applied to a scanning probe microscope.

  In the embodiment, the sample stage 22 on which the measurement head 14 is mounted is an example of a sample stage of an inverted optical microscope. However, the sample stage 22 is not limited to this, and may be another sample stage that is not included in the optical microscope. There may be.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sample, 2 ... Sample substrate, 3 ... Cantilever, 4 ... Solution, 5 ... Window glass, 6 ... Cantilever holder, 7 ... Z scanner, 8 ... XY scanner, 9 ... Condensing lens, 10 ... Laser light source, 11 ... Optical detector, 12 ... housing, 13 ... support, 14 ... measuring head, 15 ... controller, 16 ... computer, 20 ... mirror, 21 ... eyepiece, 22 ... sample stage, 23 ... objective lens, 24 ... revolver, 25 ... Illumination light source, 26 ... Base, 30 ... Handle, 31 ... Connection part, 32, 32A, 32B ... Post, 33 ... Stop rod, 33a ... Upper end, 34, 34A, 34B ... Hinge, 35 ... Connection surface, 37 ... support body, 40 ... stop member, 40a, 40b ... surface, 41 ... handle, 51 ... male fitting member, 52 ... female fitting member, 53 ... receiving member, 54 ... hanging member, 55A, 55B ... projection 56A, 56B ... Katachiana, 57 ... connection surface 60 ... rotary shaft, 61 ... bearing, 62 ... post, 70, 71 ... strut.

Claims (14)

A measuring head mounted on a sample stage on which a sample substrate having a sample is placed ;
The measurement head includes a cantilever having a probe at a free end, a scanning mechanism that scans the cantilever three-dimensionally, and a housing that holds the scanning mechanism.
A rotation mechanism that rotatably supports the measurement head; and a handle provided on the housing,
The measurement head is a scanning probe microscope connected to an installation base on which the sample stage is installed via the rotating mechanism. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 1, wherein the rotating mechanism supports the measuring head so that the measuring head can be turned over. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism includes a rotation shaft portion and a bearing portion, and the rotation shaft portion and the bearing portion are connectable and separable. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 3 , wherein the rotating shaft portion and the bearing portion are coupled and separated when the measurement head is moved by the sample stage. The scanning according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one pair of coupling members that can be coupled and separated, wherein the rotation mechanism is coupled to the installation table or the measurement head via the coupling members. Type probe microscope. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 5 , wherein the fitting member is coupled and separated when the measuring head is moved by the sample stage. The fitting member comprises a male engaging member and a female fitting member, according to claim 5 or scanning probe microscope according to claim 6. The scanning probe microscope according to any one of claims 5 to 7 , further comprising a lock mechanism that fixes the coupling of the fitting members. The rotating mechanism comprises a damping mechanism, according to claim 1 scanning probe microscope according to any one of claims 6. The scanning probe microscope according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , further comprising a stopper that limits a rotation angle of the rotation mechanism. The measuring head is provided with an optical lever displacement sensor, according to claim 1 scanning probe microscope according to any one of claims 6. The scanning probe microscope according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the sample stage is included in an optical microscope, and a body of the optical microscope is included in the installation base. The scanning probe microscope according to claim 12 , wherein the optical microscope includes a base to which the mirror body is attached, and the sample stage is fixed to the base. An operation method of the scanning probe microscope according to claim 3 or 5 ,
The measurement head is moved using the sample stage, and the measurement head is connected to the installation table via the rotation mechanism,
Grasp the handle and rotate the measuring head around the rotation axis of the rotating mechanism to turn the measuring head over,
Placing the sample substrate having the sample on the sample stage, and / or attaching the cantilever to the measuring head;
The measurement head is mounted on the sample stage by gripping the handle and rotating the measurement head around the rotation axis of the rotation mechanism.
The measurement head is moved using the sample stage to release the connection between the installation table and the measurement head,
A method for operating a scanning probe microscope, in which scanning probe microscope measurement is started.

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