US-12618868-B2 - Cassette for holding a probe

US12618868B2US 12618868 B2US12618868 B2US 12618868B2US-12618868-B2

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure pertain to a probe cassette for holding a probe, e.g. an atomic force microscopy, at a predefined holding position for automated pickup. The probe cassette comprises a main body 3 including a support face 1 for supporting the probe; and one or more physical confinement elements 50 formed or affixed along said support face, said one or more physical confinement elements providing a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket 9 for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face.

Inventors

Hamed Sadeghian Marnani
Wouter Arie DE ZEEUW

Assignees

NEARFIELD INSTRUMENTS B.V.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20211126
Priority Date: 20201127

Claims (14)

1 . A probe cassette for holding a probe for a probe-based system at a predefined holding position for automated pickup, the probe cassette comprising a main body, the main body including a support face for supporting the probe; and one or more physical confinement elements formed or affixed along said support face, said one or more physical confinement elements providing a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face, wherein the one or more physical confinement elements includes a sheet arranged to be affixed to the support face and that is provided with an aperture dimensioned so as to provide the plurality of engagement faces.
2 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises an alignment means arranged to, upon affixing, contact a corresponding counterpart means provided to the sheet so as to align the sheet relative to the main body.
3 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of the pockets, each pocket arranged for holding a corresponding probe.
4 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the physical confinement element is in the form of a strip comprising a plurality of apertures arranged in a row.
5 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising a vacuum clamping member arranged for holding the probe under a retaining force, said vacuum clamping member comprising at least one orifice that is fluidly connected to a fluid port provided to the probe cassette.
6 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical confinement elements have a maximum height less than a thickness of the probe to be held.
7 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement faces extend under a predefined slope relative to the support face that corresponds to a slope of a corresponding sidewall of the probe to be held.
8 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , comprising one or more sloping terrace, each terrace having a slope corresponding to an orientation of a pick-up means of the probe-based system, wherein each terrace including a corresponding one of the support face.
9 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet is formed by a strip comprising a plurality of the apertures aligned in a single row.
10 . The probe cassette according to claim 1 , wherein at least the support face, the physical confinement elements, and the alignment means are formed of a metal.
11 . A method of manufacturing a probe cassette for holding a probe at a predefined holding position for automated pickup by probe-based system, the method comprising: providing a main body including a support face for supporting the probe; and affixing one or more physical confinement elements along said support face so as to provide a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face, wherein the one or more physical confinement elements is manufactured independently from the main body, the one or more physical confinement elements including a sheet which is affixed to the support face and that is provided with an aperture dimensioned so as to provide the plurality of engagement faces.
12 . A kit for forming a probe cassette for holding a probe at a predefined holding position for automated pickup by probe-based system, the kit comprising: a main body including a support face for supporting the probe; and one or more physical confinement elements, the main body and the one or more physical confinement elements mutually arranged to allow affixing the one or more physical confinement elements along the support face, said one or more physical confinement elements providing a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face, wherein the one or more physical confinement elements include a sheet which is affixed to the support face and that is provided with an aperture dimensioned so as to provide the plurality of engagement faces.
13 . A physical confinement element in the form of a sheet provided with one or more apertures for use with the probe cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet is affixable to a support face of a main body comprised in the probe cassette so as to provide a probe cassette for holding a probe at a predefined holding position for automated pickup by probe-based system, wherein each of the one or more apertures is arranged so as to provide a plurality of engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face.
14 . The probe cassette according to claim 10 , wherein the metal is stainless steel.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. National Stage application under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application PCT/NL2021/050719 (published as WO 2022/114956 A1), filed Nov. 26, 2021, which claims the benefit of priority to Application NL 2026997, filed Nov. 27, 2020. Each of these prior applications is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD AND BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates to a cassette for holding a probe for a probe-based system in storage. In particular to holding a probe in a predefined holding position for automated pickup. The disclosure further relates to a method of manufacturing and to parts of the probe cassette. Scanning probe microscopes are widely used for characterizing properties of a sample by the interaction between a probe device and a sample. The probe can be mounted in a scanning probe microscope (e.g. atomic force microscope). Different types of probe devices exist. Commonly, cantilever-based probes are employed. Such cantilever-based probe devices may have a tip provided near a terminal end of the cantilever to make a local measurement of one or more properties of the sample. Probe based systems can characterize small-scale sample features by monitoring the interaction between the sample and the tip of the associated probe device. Surface characterization, subsurface characterization, and/or other sample-dependent data can be determined over a particular region of the sample by providing a relative scanning movement between the tip and the associated probe device. Additionally or alternatively, the probe device may also be used for modifying the surface of the sample using the probe based system. It is known to place one or more probe devices in a cassette or storage box for delivery to the user or customer in order to facilitate transport and prevent damage to the probe devices. The cassette may be a container or holder including holding elements arranged for rigidly keeping the probe devices substantially in position even when transporting the cassette (e.g. shipment, on-site transport, handling, etc.) so as to avoid damaging the probes. Therefore holding element typically includes a gel (gelbox) holding the probe devices in place onto which one or more the probes can be positioned. Probes used in scanning probe microscopy typically have very small dimensions and tend to require delicate handling. To reduce the time required for a local measurement, largely automated probe based systems, e.g. atomic force microscopes, are known. Loading and/or unloading of a probe typically requires manual handling of the probe, e.g. with a tweezer to pick up a probe from a storage box and to load it in a probe holder. To reduce manual interaction probe holders with preloaded probes are available which may be picked up in an automated fashion. Such tend to be costly and while offering some level of automation tend to take up considerable usable surface area to store a given number of replacement probes, e.g. at a dedicated holding position. Pickup and placing probes directly from or into known storage boxes, such as boxes provided with a gel for holding the probe devices in place can be challenging. SUMMARY Aspects of the present disclosure relate to a probe cassette for holding a probe for probe-based system at a predefined holding position. The cassette can be used to particular advantage for automated pickup, e.g. in systems with automated probe handling, such as AFM systems including means such as automated, robotized or mechanical probe exchange. The probe cassette comprises a main body including a support face for supporting the probe and one or more physical confinement elements. Preferably, said one or more physical confinement elements are affixed along support face said. Alternatively, or in addition, the physical confinement elements can be formed directly onto the support face. The one or more physical confinement elements provide a plurality of engagement faces that are disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position and extend in a direction out of the support face, typically transverse to the support surface, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe. The pocket is dimensioned so as to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face. In contrast to conventional storage boxes, such as gel boxes, wherein probes have a combatively high degree of positional and rotational freedom (both with respect to the container as to adjacent probes) the presently disclosed probe cassette offers a more reliable means of holding of probes. Holding the probes with restricted spread in relative position and/or orientation, both relative to the box as to other stored probes, offers more predictable and/or more accurate control over storage position of a probe, which is for example of particular benefit in automated probe exchange. Preferably, the one or more physical confinement eleme