Method for Measuring the Force Interaction That Is Caused by a Sample

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This patent describes a novel method for measuring force interactions caused by a sample using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). It achieves this by incorporating a sensor and signal converter (often a physical adsorbate like a hydrogen or deuterium molecule) directly into the STM tip-sample contact, allowing the measurement of force interactions via changes in the tunneling current. This method enables chemical and atomic structural imaging of surfaces with unprecedented resolution, combining advantages of both STM and atomic force microscopy (AFM) while reducing complexity.

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• Analyzing and characterizing the atomic and chemical structure of molecular surfaces in nanotechnology and materials science.
• Ultra-high resolution imaging of organic molecules and metal surfaces in surface science research.
• Detecting and mapping intermolecular forces and bonds in biomolecules and polymers.
• Quality control and detailed inspection in semiconductor and advanced material manufacturing.
• Studying catalytic sites on surfaces or nanoparticles at atomic resolution.
• Calibration and research in fundamental physics and nanoscience laboratories.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables simultaneous measurement of atomic geometry and chemical characteristics at sub-nanometer scale.
• Provides higher spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity than conventional STM or AFM, allowing direct visualization of chemical structure and molecular bonds.
• Reduces the apparatus complexity compared to dynamic AFM methods, making high-resolution imaging more accessible and reliable.
• Allows creation of force interaction maps (force spectroscopy) with simple current measurements, which are easier and more direct than mechanical force measurements.
• Flexible and adjustable sensitivity via electrical bias, enabling tailored measurements for different materials or molecules without hardware changes.
• Increases stability and reproducibility in high-resolution microscopy by using in-situ formed nanoscale sensors.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a method for measuring the force interaction that is caused by a sample, wherein a bias voltage compared to the sample is applied to a tip and the tip is guided at a such a small distance to the sample that a measurable current flows between the tip and the sample and a sensor and signal converter S is formed and used in the area of the force interaction, which area changes the current flowing through the tip-sample contact according to the intensity of the force interaction. A scanning tunneling microscope therefor is disclosed.