US 12,241,911 B2
Nanoscale dynamic mechanical analysis via atomic force microscopy (AFM-nDMA)
Sergey Osechinskiy, Goleta, CA (US); Anthonius Ruiter, Goleta, CA (US); Bede Pittenger, Goleta, CA (US); and Syed-Asif Syed-Amanulla, Minneapolis, MN (US)
Assigned to BRUKER NANO, INC., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed by BRUKER NANO, INC., Goleta, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 2, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/431,503.
Application 18/431,503 is a continuation of application No. 18/133,054, filed on Apr. 11, 2023, granted, now 11,940,461.
Application 18/133,054 is a continuation of application No. 17/722,603, filed on Apr. 18, 2022, granted, now 11,635,449, issued on Apr. 25, 2023.
Application 17/722,603 is a continuation of application No. 17/234,185, filed on Apr. 19, 2021, granted, now 11,307,220, issued on Apr. 19, 2022.
Application 17/234,185 is a continuation of application No. 16/530,725, filed on Aug. 2, 2019, granted, now 11,029,330, issued on Jun. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/769,905, filed on Nov. 20, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/715,166, filed on Aug. 6, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0175895 A1, May 30, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01Q 60/38 (2010.01); G01Q 10/04 (2010.01); G01Q 20/04 (2010.01); G01Q 30/04 (2010.01); B82Y 35/00 (2011.01)
CPC G01Q 60/38 (2013.01) [G01Q 10/04 (2013.01); G01Q 20/04 (2013.01); G01Q 30/04 (2013.01); B82Y 35/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus configured to determine a mechanical property of a surface of a viscoelastic sample with an atomic-force-microscope (AFM) hardware, the apparatus comprising:
an excitation electronic circuitry configured to generate an excitation force signal causing, in operation of the apparatus, one of (i) a cantilever of a cantilevered probe of the apparatus and (ii) the sample undergo a first extremal displacement from a nominal position thereof only at a beginning of a pre-determined time period and a second extremal displacement from the nominal position only at an end of the pre-determined time period;
an electro-mechanical sub-system in operable cooperation with the excitation electronic circuitry, the electro-mechanical system configured:
to reposition, in response to the excitation force signal, said one of the cantilever and the sample with respect to another of the sample and the probe until a point where the cantilever is deflected by a pre-determined amount from a nominal orientation of the cantilever;
to maintain the probe in a position, with respect to the surface of the sample, in which at least one of
i) an average sample-loading force, generated by the probe, and
ii) an area of contact between a tip of the probe and the surface of the sample is kept substantially constant;
a position-detecting system configured to detect a deflection of the cantilever as a function of at least one of a temporal factor and a spatial factor characterizing the operation of the apparatus;
a programmable processor in electrical communication with the electro-mechanical sub-system and the excitation electronic circuitry and programmed at least:
to suspend an operation of the electro-mechanical sub-system for a relaxation period of time that is sufficient for relaxation of a creep of the surface, wherein the creep has been caused by repositioning of one of the sample and the probe with respect to another of the sample and the probe; and
to acquire data, from the position-detecting system, to determine a viscoelastic parameter of the surface of the sample.