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RHK Technology R9 User Manual

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R9 Control System User Guide v5.5

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  • Page 1 R9 Control System User Guide v5.5...
  • Page 2 R9 Control System User Guide v5.5 RHK Technology Publication date 13 October 2015 Copyright © 2012-2015 RHK Technology, Inc...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Ethernet Connection ......................3 1.3.2 Using more than one Ethernet Communications Link............3 Start and try the R9 Control System Software (R9s) ..............3 1.4.1 Opening R9 Software (R9s) ....................4 Understand IHDL™ and the R9 Software Components ............4 1.4.2...
  • Page 4 A.1. Overview of a Hardware Item ......................66 A.2. Hiding Dashboard Panels to Ribbon ....................67 A.3. Overview of an R9 Control ......................68 A.4. User-Configurable Max/Min Ranges on Data Entry ................ 70 A.5. Adding Procedure Panel to Hardware Composites on the Dashboard ........... 71 A.6.
  • Page 5 Appendix D. R9 Connector Pinouts ......................114 D.1. R9 Preamp I/O 44-Pin Female Connector ..................114 D.2. R9 DC Power Output 9-Pin Female Connector ................115 D.3. R9 Laser I/O 26-Pin Female Connector ..................116 D.4. R9 High Voltage Output 10-Pin Female Connector ..............117 D.5.
  • Page 6 7.1.3 ............................141 I.16. ‘Yes/No’ Message Box ........................142 I.17. Multiple R9 Controls in a State ..................... 143 I.17.1. Sweep Options in R9 Controls ....................143 Appendix J. Details on Procedure Space Constructions ................145 J.1. Constructing Procedures ........................ 145 J.2.
  • Page 7 R9 Control System User Guide v5.5 K.2.2.1. Curves Tab ......................183 K.2.2.1.1 Show .......................... 184 K.2.2.1.2 Preprocessing Modes ....................184 K.2.2.1.3 Display Modes ......................185 K.2.2.1.4 Curve Attributes ..................... 185 K.2.2.2. Layout Tab ......................186 K.2.2.3. Cursor Mode Tab ..................187 K.2.3.
  • Page 8 List of Figures Figure 1.1. Check the R9 for damage ......................1 Figure 1.2. Location of Power, Frequency, Voltage and Serial Number Information ........2 Figure 1.3. Ethernet Connection Diagram ....................3 Figure 1.4. R9 Dashboard ..........................4 Figure 1.5. Opening a preconfigured IHDL™ ....................6 Figure 1.6.
  • Page 9 Figure A.3. Hiding Dashboard Panels to Ribbon ..................68 Figure A.4. Showing Panels on the Ribbon ....................68 Figure A.5. R9 Controls ..........................69 Figure A.6. Ramping R9 Controls ....................... 69 Figure A.7. User-Configurable Limits on Data Entry ................... 70 Figure A.8. Settings for User-configurable Limits ..................70 Figure A.9.
  • Page 10 Figure B.47. Show/Hide Items from Hardware Composites ..............107 Figure C.1. RHK STM Beetle - Connections Block Diagram ..............108 Figure C.2. R9 Connection Diagram for the RHK UHV300 Beetle STM ..........108 Figure C.3. Combined Bias and Preamp Cable ..................109 Figure C.4.
  • Page 11 R9 Control System User Guide v5.5 Figure J.13. Pulse Tip - Setting the CH1 Drive Pulse Fall ................ 153 Figure J.14. Pulse Tip - Setting a Reference .................... 153 Figure J.15. Pulse Tip - Setting a Name ....................155 Figure J.16. Validating a Procedure ......................156 Figure J.17.
  • Page 12 R9 Control System User Guide v5.5 Figure K.35. Transient Recorder Output ....................193 Figure K.36. Transient Recorder FFT Output ................... 194 Figure L.1. Power Supply Terminal Wiring ....................196 Figure M.1. Typical reference setup in Hardware Space ................197 Figure M.2. Typical reference setup on the Dashboard ................198 Figure M.3.
  • Page 13 R9 Control System User Guide v5.5 List of Tables Table 4.1. Z Bar Zoom Ranges ........................ 33 Table B.1. Channel 1 Drive Output ......................74 Table F.1. Preconfigured Approach Systems ..................126 Table K.1. Types of Monitors ........................191 Table L.1.

  • Page 14: About This Quick Start Guide

    R9 components and may lead to abuse of your equipment. Since this is a Quick Start Guide, you may have questions about using your R9 Controller System that this Guide does not answer. Please email, Skype, call or fax us with your questions. We will be happy to provide you with the service and information you need to help you get your R9 system operational.
  • Page 15 About This Quick Start Guide • Refine settings and repeat image Analyze your image Perform spectroscopy measurements • Spectroscopy at a selected point on your image • Spectroscopy at every point on an image Analyze your spectroscopy measurements...

  • Page 16: Significant Changes In R9S 4.0

    Sine and Cosine outputs of the internal NCO (Numerically Controlled Oscillator) can be digitally summed into each HV Amplifier. d. The Value of the R9 Controls connected to High Voltage Amplifiers are now displayed in physical units of the output, such as 'nm', instead of volts.
  • Page 17 What’s New Improved Graph Windows: The XY Graph Windows have been improved. Additional Cursor options are now available: Two vertical cursors, one diagonal cursor, and horizontal cursors. Cursors now move on all graph panes to help lineup features. Improved Monitor Items: Improved precision on the monitor items make for a more steady reading.

  • Page 18: Significant Changes In R9S 4.2

    Significant Changes in R9s 4.0 1. The Z-PI  Feedback Type  Logarithmic and Divide modes have changed greatly in scaling from previous versions. This should be checked prior to initializing in v4.0 if these modes were being used previously. The following table provides a guide for how the new values should scale. EXAMPLE #1 EXAMPLE #1 EXAMPLE #2...
  • Page 19 22. Multiple R9 Controls in a State: IHL construction is much easier due to changes in the ways that the IHLs can be wired. Now, any number of different R9 controls can be ramped in a given state.

  • Page 20: Significant Changes In R9S 5.0

    (e.g. set point changes or scan speed, etc.). 3. New Image + Spectroscopy Modes have been Added; Points, Line Grid: The R9 software can now take topography and pause to take spectroscopic data in a set of selected points, along a line, or in an array of points, user configurable within the image area.
  • Page 21 Now Windows will report Out of Memory when the application uses up around 2.4 GB of memory or more. The result of this change is that more memory is available to the R9 software which will provide a better user experience.

  • Page 22: Significant Changes In R9S 5.2

    Significant Changes in R9s 5.0 1. Inventor SDK: this feature enables the user to control R9 with text commands sent over Ethernet to the R9 software. Any application can be used to send the commands, for example LabVIEW, Matlab, C/C++/C#, Python, Java, etc.
  • Page 23 FALSE for this item to work properly. Please contact RHK Support for more information on this advanced topic. 15. Simplified R9 Controls in Procedures: Set, Sweep, and AWG, allows the given value to be set in three different ways. Set is the most simple where it sets the value instantaneously. Sweep allows the value to be ramped linearly at a given rate or over a given time.
  • Page 24 5. Data Logger: transients that are desirable to be monitored over a long time scale of say hours to days can now conveniently be monitored from the R9 software through the Data Logger. An example might be temperature. The sampling rate can vary between 0.1 Hz and 1000 Hz, and continuous acquisition can ensue for a maximum of 5 days.
  • Page 25 What’s New virtual hardware object. In addition the value can be inverted. For example, if using an inverting current preamplifier with a known gain of 10 nA/V, you would simply enter -10 nA in this field. 12. Image + Spec with points to take spectroscopies can be defined on the fly. 13.

  • Page 27: Chapter 1. Prepare Your Spm System

    Caution The R9 Controller is quite heavy. There are no lifting handles on the hardware chassis. Two people are needed to move and setup the R9 Controller. A rolling cart can be helpful for relocation. 1.1 Check the Hardware for Damage...

  • Page 28: Connecting The Ethernet

    Prepare Your SPM System The R9 Controller has its power voltage and frequency ratings marked in the lower left corner of the rear Figure 1.2, “Location of Power, Frequency, Voltage panel next to the power input connector as shown in and Serial Number Information”.

  • Page 29: Ethernet Connection

    Subnet Mask (192.168.10.100 and 255.255.255.0, respectively). The Windows Firewall should be disabled for the RHK Connection. The RHK Connection port on the workstation will be connected directly to the R9 Controller using a crossover Ethernet cable if it is the only Ethernet-based device you have from RHK.

  • Page 30: Opening R9 Software (R9S)

    1.4.1 Opening R9 Software (R9s) To start the R9 Software (R9s), please double-click the icon on the desktop or find the application in the Windows Program List. R9 Software normally opens in the same condition it was in before the last shutdown.

  • Page 31: Open A Preconfigured Ihdl™ File

    SPM tasks. As your uses expand and become more complex and demanding, the R9 Control System will help make the transition simpler, more reliable and more cost effective.

  • Page 32: Figure 1.5. Opening A Preconfigured Ihdl

    UHV 300.ihl tab. Please note that it may be the only tab. Figure 1.6. Selecting the Workbench tab RHK has developed several preconfigured SPM experiment templates that ship with the R9 Controller. If you have one of the RHK STM systems, then you will have a complete preconfigured Hardware Space, Procedure Space, and Dashboard that will provide all the basic STM functionality you need to get started imaging.

  • Page 33: Figure 1.7. Rhk Uhv300 Preconfigured Stm Hardware Workbench

    The following items are external to R9: UHV300, IVP-200 and IVP-R9. The wiring from the high voltage outputs to the UHV300, the IVP-R9, the STM Bias, and the Z Offset are all external to R9. Now that the Workbench is opened the different Workbench components can be seen. These...

  • Page 34: Workbench User Interface Component Overview

    2. Workbench Toolbar: This toolbar provides quick access to commonly used controls. From the Workbench toolbar, the R9 Software can be switched between Hardware Space, Procedure Space, and the Dashboard. Also, Procedures can be opened, the Browser can be launched, and the various Channel Display windows can be opened.

  • Page 35: Components Of Interest

    Search bar at the top of the Item Palette. 5. Log / Output / Recent Files: Communication between the R9 Controller and R9 Software appears on the Log tab. Special information regarding debugging or other operations may be seen on the Output tab.

  • Page 36: Figure 1.9. Hardware Space

    The R9 Controller generates a differential bias signal (both +bias and -bias) that is received by the IVP-R9 and is turned into a single-ended bias signal to be fed into the STM. The STM preamp signal is fed into the IVP-R9 and is turned into a differential (+current, -current) signal that is then sent to the differential input of the R9.

  • Page 37: Initial Testing Of The R9 Controller

    1.5 Initial Testing of the R9 Controller The initial testing of the R9 Controller will take place in two stages: Offline Testing and Online Testing. Offline Testing is completed before connecting the microscope to the R9 Controller. Online Testing will be performed after the cables and microscope have been connected to the R9 Controller, but while the scan head is far from the sample.

  • Page 38: Figure 1.10. Save The Ihdl With A New Name

    UHV 300.ihl already opened: 1. Click the Save Arrow below the Save icon 2. Click Save IHDL Project As... 3. Browse to the folder C:\Program Files\RHK Technology\Rev 9\IHL Files\ 4. Type as the name Testing UHV 300.ihl 5. Press Save Note IHDL Files will be backed up automatically when the Save button is pressed.

  • Page 39: Figure 1.12. Workbench - Testing Uhv 300.Ihl

    Now, some initial testing can be performed without risking any changes to the file. After the UHV 300.ihl Offline Testing, the file can be opened again. UHV 300.ihl Figure 1.12. Workbench - Testing UHV 300.ihl Turn on the R9 Controller. Your monitors should resemble the image below.

  • Page 40: Initial Tests

    After an IHL file has been loaded into the software, it must be downloaded into the R9 controller. This is done by clicking on Initialize on the Ribbon in the section labeled Execute. When this has been completed, the data channels that are connected to a Measure Item in Hardware Space will start to stream to the PC over the Ethernet link.
  • Page 41 Prepare Your SPM System Spectrum Analyzer, Image Line display, cross section measurement tool, and Spectroscopy display Section 2, “XY Graph Windows”. Select the windows. The use of the common controls is described in Topography and Current channels to be displayed. As there is no input signal from a preamplifier, the input signal will measure very close to zero nA.

  • Page 42: Measuring Preamplifier Noise And Adjusting Input Circuit Parameters

    Never plug or unplug the preamplifier when the R9 is powered on as damage to the preamplifier could occur. 4. Plug one end of the preamplifier cable into the preamplifier connector on the rear panel of the R9 Controller and the other end into the output jack of the IVP-R9 Bias-Preamplifier adapter.

  • Page 43: Figure 1.15. Testing The Input Offset

    Note R9 works with SI units and will automatically switch ranges when appropriate. To further characterize the preamplifier, a power spectrum of it's noise can be acquired.

  • Page 44: Figure 1.16. Spectrum Analyzer Result At Full Bandwidth

    Figure 1.16. Spectrum Analyzer Result at Full Bandwidth The R9 input circuits have programmable gain to allow the dynamic range of the ADC to be matched to the signal levels that will be encountered during the experiment. By default, the input gain of the Channel 2 ADC is set to 1.

  • Page 45: Adjusting Bias Voltage Parameters

    DC offsets in the output circuitry, provide an AC modulation of the Bias Voltage signal for spectroscopic measurements, as well as output scaling circuitry to allow signal level optimization. As with all R9 controls, only the controls that are required for the desired experiment need to be visible on the Dashboard.

  • Page 46: Figure 1.18. Bias Voltage And Ch1 Drive Settings

    This defined slew rate prevents a transient pulse that could modify the tip or sample. Almost every parameter that can be set in the R9 has the capability to set a slew rate to prevent sudden jumps in values. These controls will be described in a later section. A typical value for the Rate is 1V/s.

  • Page 47: Figure 1.19. Bias Modulation Through The Tunneling Gap Simulator

    Additional tests can now be performed to demonstrate the modulation capability of the Bias Voltage circuit. 1. Connect the Bias output of the IVP-R9 Preamp-Bias module to the 100 Megohm Tunnel Gap Simulator (TGS). 2. Using a BNC cable, connect the other end of the TGS to the input of the IVP-200 preamplifier. If a preamplifier is used that does not have BNC connectors, follow the procedure shown in the Appendix.

  • Page 48: Further Testing

    Prepare Your SPM System 1.5.4 Further Testing The following tests should be performed to get a good understanding of the use of the controls. Test 1: 1. Increase/Decrease the value of the Bias Voltage: The DC offset of the modulated bias voltage will be seen to increase and decrease as the Bias Voltage is changed.

  • Page 49: Chapter 2. Connect Your Microscope

    Chapter 2. Connect Your Microscope Connecting the R9 Controller to a microscope will be different for each setup but there are certainly some basic steps common to most situations. 1. Check the cables and wiring to make sure there are no cuts, depressed pins, or corrosion of the metal parts.

  • Page 50: Chapter 3. Approach

    Chapter 3. Approach Now that the R9 Hardware has been confirmed to be working as expected, the next step will be to bring the probe and sample close enough to create an interaction for feedback. This can be a tunneling current, a cantilever deflection, a frequency shift, etc.

  • Page 51: Feedback Settings

    Approach Figure 3.1. Open the Approach Procedures Panel Note The Approach Procedures can be different for each microscope! The Pan Approach Procedures are shown above. 3.2 Feedback Settings Open the Dashboard to view the Feedback settings before trying to approach. Part of the Dashboard may resemble the following figure.

  • Page 52: Figure 3.2. Typical Dashboard For Stm

    Lock-in is the connection point for the Current Measure Item. The diagram above shows the lock-in amplifier with only the frequency filter exposed. When the R9 is configured with a fully operational lock- in, more controls will be exposed on the Dashboard.

  • Page 53: Fast In

    With the Feedback settings configured, the probe should be ready to approach the sample. The approach could take a long time if the R9 Software has to retract the tip between coarse steps if the tip-sample separation is relatively large. In this case, the Fast In Approach Procedure can be used to quickly bring the tip close to the sample.

  • Page 54: Adjusting The Position With Single Steps

    Sometimes delays need to be increased between the scan head taking an approach step and when the R9 Software checks the signals. Also, if the feedback loop is turned too slow, a false tip engage can occur. This is because the software process watching as the tip extends exceeds the timeout limit.

  • Page 55: Operating Mode Switching

    To change Operating Modes, select the arrow below the Mode button on the ribbon bar and select the name of the Mode to change to. The Mode button will show the name of the Mode the R9 is currently in.
  • Page 56 Approach feedback source. The Z Feedback will typically be disabled after the Operating Mode has been changed so the user can adjust other parameters before engaging the Z feedback loop again. Note IHL files will have to include the correct procedures and, of course, the microscope design has to also support this capability, for this to be implemented.

  • Page 57: Chapter 4. Acquire An Image

    Chapter 4. Acquire an Image A signal needs to be properly connected to a Measure Item in Hardware Space before it can be available to image. The supplied IHDL files for STM modes will have the output of the Z PI Controller (Topography) available as an Imaging channel, and the output of the STM Lock In (Current) will be available as an Imaging channel and as a Spectroscopy channel.

  • Page 58: Configure Scan Settings

    Acquire an Image 2. Only the Current signal is available for Spectroscopy because the Current Measure Item's Measure Type was set to Image + Spectroscopy . The Topography signal is NOT available for Spectroscopy because the Topography Measure Item's Measure Type was set to Image. For more information about Measure Items, please see the Measure Item Appendix.

  • Page 59: Table 4.1. Z Bar Zoom Ranges

    Acquire an Image The Scan Area Window holds the controls for the Scan Generator. Depending on the construction of the specific microscope, either the probe or the sample could be scanned. The Scan Area Window components of interest are briefly explained below: 1.

  • Page 60: Figure 4.3. Scan Area Window - Advanced, Save

    Acquire an Image Figure 4.3. Scan Area Window - Advanced, Save A new Tip Standby location has been added to the Image acquisition procedures to leave the tip at the Current Position. Select the Advanced tab of the Scan Area Window and set the Tip Standby Position to Current Position.

  • Page 61: Multi-Height Imaging

    Acquire an Image Figure 4.5. Scan Area Window - Nav Config., Image Settings For more information about the Scan Area Window Config Panel, please see the Scan Area Window Appendix. 4.2.1 Multi-height Imaging Multi-height imaging is the ability to scan a surface, memorizing the topography trace, and lift up and rescan the surface, replaying the topography trace at up to three different heights.

  • Page 62: Begin Image Acquisition

    Acquire an Image Figure 4.6. Multi-height Imaging Selecting the “MPI-Z” procedure will enable the MPI-Z parameters on the Multipass Imaging panel. The number of Retract Heights (1) that can be set is determined by the Retract Count (2) on the panel. The time it takes to lift the probe will be dependent on the Ramp Speed (3).

  • Page 63: Figure 4.7. Open An Image Window

    Acquire an Image Figure 4.7. Open an Image Window It is also very helpful to open the Image Line cross section view. During image acquisition and optimization, the Image Line can be used to help to find the right Setpoint and feedback gain.

  • Page 64: Optimizing Feedback And Scanning Parameters

    Acquire an Image The R9 Controller is ready to acquire an image! Press the blue Start Acquisition button on the top-left corner of the Scan Area Window to begin Image Acquisition. The tip's position can be seen as the green arrow in the Scan Area Window Display. The tip's motion will be displayed while scanning if the scan speed is relatively slow (less than one second per scan line).

  • Page 65: Drift Correction

    Acquire an Image • Increasing the Setpoint allows the tip to follow the surface at a closer distance in order to resolve more detail. Decreasing the Setpoint allows the tip to follow the surface at a further distance to avoid contacting with molecules and contaminations that are adsorbed on the surface.

  • Page 66: Figure 4.10. Automatic Drift Correction

    Acquire an Image The drift offsets and drift vectors are in physical units so you will have to calculate the appropriate nm/s conversion if you choose the Manual Drift Correction. However we also have the Automatic Drift Correction. What this does is allows you to specify a Reference Area (green box) on an image to select a portion of the image to track and compare and a Search Area (blue box) around that Reference Area.

  • Page 67: Automatic Drift Correction

    4.6 Image+Spectroscopy Mode The R9 software has the ability to take topographic data and pause to take spectroscopic data in a set of selected points, along a line, or in a grid of points inside a region, within the image area. The points, line or region can be selected from the Spectroscopy tab of the Scan Area Window.

  • Page 68: Line

    Acquire an Image Select Interactive Points from the Spectroscopy menu and left-click on the image to place the spectral locations. A happy pattern is shown below. Figure 4.11. Image+Spectroscopy - Points 4.6.2 Line The software can be configured to take spectroscopic data at locations along a line during image acquisition.

  • Page 69: Region

    Acquire an Image 4.6.3 Region The software can be configured to take spectroscopic data at locations within a region during image acquisition. Select Region from the Spectroscopy menu and left-click-and-drag on the image to draw the spectral region. A region pattern with a 1:8 spacing is shown below. Figure 4.13.

  • Page 70: Chapter 5. Display And Analyze Your Image

    The R9 Software's Browser module allows the user to display, flatten, filter, and remove noise from the saved images before exporting to different file formats.

  • Page 71: Basic Image Processing

    Display and Analyze your Image 5.2 Basic Image Processing There are many image processing mechanisms that can make original (raw) data appear to be smooth, flat, and clean, and reveal more useful information about the sample. Important The original, raw acquired data is NEVER overwritten by processing! Any processing done to this data will cause a copy of the modified data to be saved into the SM4 file.

  • Page 72: Filtering

    Remember, such color mapping could assign the color shade to any physical value involved in a set of data, such as topographic height or tunneling current. The R9 Browser grants the user a certain freedom in manipulating the display parameters. One can find the Image Manipulation GUI interface by right- clicking inside an image and selecting Image Manipulation...

  • Page 73: Display Image In 3D Format

    Display and Analyze your Image Figure 5.4. Pre-processing Data Mode and Color Map Mode 5.3.2 Display Image in 3D Format The SPM topographic image is inherently three dimensional. However, the 2 dimensional rendering uses color to differentiate the three dimensional height. This rendering method is not the usual way for human vision to interpret a three dimensional object.

  • Page 74: Export The Spm Image

    Display and Analyze your Image Figure 5.5. Interactive 3D 5.3.3 Export the SPM Image The SPM images that are processed, displayed, and manipulated inside the Browser cannot be directly used by word processing software or presentation software such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. Once the user is satisfied with the displayed image on the screen in either 2D or 3D view, the image inside the window can be exported into picture files from the File >...

  • Page 75: Figure 5.6. Image+Spectroscopy - Display Spectral Data

    Display and Analyze your Image Figure 5.6. Image+Spectroscopy - Display Spectral Data ● To display the spectral data at a specific point, left-click the spec location and select By Point. ● To display the spectral data within a region, select the Draw Rectangular Region from the toolbar, left-click-and-drag on the image to draw the region, and select By Rect.

  • Page 76: Locating Sm4 Data Files

    Display and Analyze your Image 5.5 Locating SM4 Data Files The method to locate SM4 data files is as follows: Right-click an open image or spectroscopy data file and select Show SM4 in Windows Explorer. An Explorer window will open with the SM4 data file highlighted.

  • Page 77: Chapter 6. Acquire Spectroscopy Data

    However, the tunneling current is a function of the bias voltage, local density of states, and barrier heights. The R9 Controller allows the user to perform a variety of spectroscopic procedures. These procedures involve ramping a variable parameter, such as the bias voltage or Z position, while measuring another dependent signal, such as the current, or dI/dV.

  • Page 78: Figure 6.1. Dashboard View Of The Iv Ramp Spectroscopy Settings

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data Note The I/Z Ramp Spectroscopy Settings control panel is hidden by default as the I/Z Spectroscopy procedure is used less frequently than the I/V Spectroscopy procedure. To display the I/Z Spectroscopy Settings control panel, go to Hardware Space, select the IZ Spec Settings hardware item, select the General tab on the Property Panel, and enable Show on Dashboard.

  • Page 79: Figure 6.2. Spectroscopy - Alternate Scan Direction: Disabled

    Spectral Response Signal for the current level of the independent parameter. (R9 also holds the entire time series separately in the History file, this feature unique to R9 provides you with extra information about the spectral response signals often...

  • Page 80: Starting An Iv Spectroscopy Procedure

    These settings let you take into consideration various slow changes that might have been taking place during the spectra acquisition. (Again, here R9 gives you the ability by consulting History to check the magnitude of these effects in the situation where the data look unusual.)

  • Page 81: Figure 6.5. Scan Area Window Access To Spectroscopy Procedures

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data Figure 6.5. Scan Area Window access to Spectroscopy Procedures The figure above assumes that you have been scanning your sample and found an interesting feature and you want to acquire spectroscopy at a location (the Present Position). To perform an I/V Spectroscopy measurement at the Present Position (after you have configured the Spectroscopy Settings as described above) is outlined in the following steps: 1.

  • Page 82: Di/Dv Spectroscopy Measurements

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data Note When the selected Pattern is Present Position, the spectroscopic measurement will be performed at the location displayed by the green tip position on the Scan Area Window. The cursor can be moved to any location on the image by using the Move Tip command. This can be accessed by right-clicking on the image and selecting Move Tip.

  • Page 83: Figure 6.7. Dashboard For Uhv300.Ihl

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data Figure 6.7. Dashboard for UHV300.ihl The dI/dV measurement will use the included dI/dV Spectroscopy or dI/dV Image Spectroscopy procedures. It is helpful to perform the IV Spectroscopy procedure first as it will provide a basis for setting the dI/dV Spectroscopy Settings for the dI/dV measurement. An IV Spectroscopy result is shown below.

  • Page 84: Figure 6.9. Spectroscopy Settings And Circuit Diagram For The Trial Di/Dv Spectroscopy

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data connected and the Gate acting as the diode cathode. A series resistor of 100 Megohms was used to set the current level appropriate for using the IVP-200 as the input preamplifier. Figure 6.9. Spectroscopy Settings and Circuit Diagram for the Trial dI/dV Spectroscopy In your case, you will have a real tunneling probe in operation.

  • Page 85: Background For Di/Dv Measurement

    Spectroscopy Settings edit box. (This can be adjusted later to optimize signal to noise and resolution of the dI/dV curve.) 5. Initialize the R9 if not already initialized by clicking on the Initialize button in the Execute section of the R9s Ribbon bar.

  • Page 86: Figure 6.12. I/V And Di/Dv Spectroscopy Plots

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data Figure 6.8, “Example I/V Spectroscopy vacuum tunneling regime (this is part of the curve shown above in Measurement on a Pair of Back to Back FETs”). Figure 6.12. I/V and dI/dV Spectroscopy Plots In the following figure, the idea behind measuring the slope of the I/V curve is illustrated. Here we show that a small change in Bias voltage (the peak to peak amplitude of the CH1 Oscillator signal indicated by the back to back arrows) is being added to the each of the three Bias Voltages.

  • Page 87: Figure 6.13. Pictorial Representation Of Di/Dv

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data Voltage, V1, there is no slope to the I/V curve so dI/dV is zero, so the dI is zero here and but for the noise, the dI/dV curve is zero. For the second Bias Voltage, V2 there is a positive slope to the I/V curve and the same Oscillation amplitude added to this Bias Voltage will give a small change in I indicated by the thickness of the red line.

  • Page 88: Figure 6.14. Interferometer Feedback

    Acquire Spectroscopy Data Note Please note that the only function of the LockIn 0 component is to provide a tuned filter that is tuned to the frequency of the small Bias Voltage oscillation. This filter must be adjusted 2 ways, first by setting the frequency to the CH1 Drive frequency, then by adjusting the Phase Offset so that the maximum signal is passed through the filter.

  • Page 89: Chapter 7. Analyze Spectroscopy Data

    2D curves. Very often more than one channels of output are plotted against one input channel, and many measurements are carried out in a sequential way. The R9 Browser allow one to open, display, process and export such multiple channel of curves in an interactive way.

  • Page 90: Exporting Your Spectroscopy Data

    Analyze Spectroscopy Data Figure 7.1. Spectroscopy 7.1.2 Exporting your Spectroscopy Data Spectroscopy data are strings of numeric values. In order for user to display them inside their word precessing and presentation software, these numeric values based curves need to be exported into picture files that can be pasted along with text and schematics of these softwares.

  • Page 91: Figure 7.2. Two Different Kinds Of File Export Format, Picture File And Ascii File

    Analyze Spectroscopy Data Figure 7.2. Two different kinds of file export format, picture file and ASCII file...

  • Page 92: Appendix A. Ihdl Element Details

    Appendix A. IHDL Element Details A.1. Overview of a Hardware Item All the Hardware Items have a similar organization and operation. Open up the Channel 1 Bias Drive and see exactly how it works and how to use it. The Channel 1 Bias Drive Hardware item, its Properties Palette, its Dashboard and a simplification of the Dashboard are shown in the figure below.

  • Page 93: Hiding Dashboard Panels To Ribbon

    The rarely used parameters are hidden from view during normal operation. Only the commonly used parameters are left open in the Dashboard view. R9 is designed so the casual user can easily utilize the system for their experiments while providing the advanced user complete control over every setting.

  • Page 94: Overview Of An R9 Control

    The Panels labeled Value (A), Offset DAC (B), and Oscillation Amplitude (C) have identical structures. This structure is referred to as an R9 Control. An R9 Control is a firmware construction that allows the parameters of R9 components to be changed in a safe and controlled manner. Once this basic structure is understood, most of the controls that appear to be complex are reduced to simple and intuitive controls.

  • Page 95: Figure A.5. R9 Controls

    1 ms, so entering 2 V into the Value will cause the bias to ramp from 1 V to 2 V in 1 ms. Note R9 Controls will turn Yellow on the Dashboard while the control is ramping. It will turn back to white when the control has finished ramping.

  • Page 96: User-Configurable Max/Min Ranges On Data Entry

    IHDL Element Details A.4. User-Configurable Max/Min Ranges on Data Entry The Dashboard Data Entry Controls can have user-configurable limits set to define the allowed range of values the user can enter into that particular data field. This can be useful to prevent the user from accidentally setting values too large or too small, such as a Z Feedback Gain or Oscillation Amplitude.

  • Page 97: Adding Procedure Panel To Hardware Composites On The Dashboard

    IHDL Element Details A.5. Adding Procedure Panel to Hardware Composites on the Dashboard Procedure Panels can be added to composites on the Dashboard to simplify running custom procedures. In the example below, it is shown how to add a Procedure Panel to a Hardware Composite on the Dashboard.

  • Page 98: Figure A.10. Preconfigured Stm Measure Items

    IHDL Element Details Figure A.10. Preconfigured STM Measure Items 1. Current: A Measure Item named Current is connected to the output of the Lock-in 1 (which gets its signal from the Preamp Input). a. Measure Type: Select the Current Measure Item to view its Measure Type property. It should be set to Image + Spectroscopy so the Current signal is available for Imaging and Spectroscopy.

  • Page 99: Appendix B. Hardware Space Components

    Appendix B. Hardware Space Components As has been previously explained, R9 Software is separated into three distinct sections: Hardware Space, Procedure Space, and the Dashboard. Each item that is placed on the Hardware Palette can be manipulated in all three spaces. The controls for these manipulations are similar in all three spaces, but there are also important differences.

  • Page 100: Block Diagram Of Output Circuitry

    Table B.1. Channel 1 Drive Output Output Location Output Type Bandwidth Example Application ±1 V 50 Ω R9 Rear Panel BNC 10 MHz AFM - Probe Drive IVP-R9 BNC ±10 V 50 kHz STM - Sample Bias B.1.2. Block Diagram of Output Circuitry Figure B.2.
  • Page 101 The Panels labeled Value (A), Offset DAC (B), and Oscillation Amplitude (C) have identical structures. This structure is referred to as an R9 Control. An R9 Control is a firmware construction that allows the parameters of R9 components to be changed in a safe and controlled manner. Once this basic structure is understood, most of the controls that appear to be complex are reduced to simple and intuitive controls.
  • Page 102 Disabled and not summed into the summing junction. The R9 Control (8) dropdown box selects if the Value (1) in the Value Panel is added, inverted, or disabled from the bias voltage. In most cases the setting would be Sum. If the Disabled setting is selected, the Value in the Value Panel would not be added to the bias voltage.

  • Page 103: Channel 1 Input And Channel 2 Input

    The Limit Maximum (15) and Limit Minimum (16) are parameters that will limit the voltage range of most of the DACs in R9. Entering in values less than the normal full scale can prevent damage to components that should not be exposed to the full output range of a DAC. This control is most frequently used on the High Voltage Amplifier outputs.

  • Page 104: Block Diagram Of Input Circuitry

    Hardware Space Components B.2.2. Block Diagram of Input Circuitry Figure B.5. Block Diagram of Channel 1 and Channel 2 Input Circuitry B.2.3. Property Panel in Hardware Space Figure B.6. Property Panel in Hardware Space...
  • Page 105 1. Differential Terminated: This input is located on the Preamp Connector. This connector is used when connecting to one of RHK’s external Preamplifiers, such as the IVP-R9 STM Bias-Preamp Interfaces. 2. BNC 1V High Z: This input uses the BNC connector on the Rear Panel labeled Ch 1 Input. The full scale input with this setting is ±1V.

  • Page 106: Channel 3 Input And Channel 4 Input

    The Offset Enable (3) check box enables the Offset DAC to be added to the input signal. This is one of the few analog summing junctions in the R9 controller. This summing junction adds approximately 1 nV of noise to the input signal. This can be safely ignored by almost every experiment as it is far below the noise floor of most experiments.

  • Page 107: Property Panel In Hardware Space

    Hardware Space Components B.3.3. Property Panel in Hardware Space Figure B.9. Property Panel in Hardware Space The Offset DAC (1) data entry box allows a voltage to be added to the input signal to null out the effects of any offsets in the preamplifier or input circuitry. It also useful when measuring a small AC signal that is superimposed on a large DC offset.

  • Page 108: Ch5 Input

    Drive. The Bias Settings (1) component on the Dashboard has control over the output of Channel 1 Drive. The Value (2) data entry box in Channel 1’s R9 control will be disabled. For details on operating Section 5.3, “Adjusting Bias Voltage Parameters”.

  • Page 109: Lock-In Amplifiers

    Hardware Space Components B.6. Lock-in Amplifiers The Lock-in Amplifier 0 and Lock-in Amplifier 1 icons are found in the Probe Interface Signal drawer of the Item Palette. The Lock-in Amplifiers are highly versatile firmware components that serve a wide variety of functions, depending on how they are connected in Hardware Space. B.6.1.

  • Page 110: Using The Lock-In Amplifier As A Low Pass Filter

    Hardware Space Components B.6.2. Using the Lock-in Amplifier as a Low Pass Filter The most basic function for the Lock-in Amplifier is to act as a Low Pass Filter. When the last five data Figure B.12, “Lock-in Amplifier - Low entry boxes in the Lock-in Property Panel are set to 0 as shown in Pass Filter”, the Lock-in Amplifier is configured to be a low pass filter.

  • Page 111: Using The Lock-In Amplifier For Di/Dv Measurements

    The Phase Offset is adjusted to compensate for the phase shift of the cables and other components outside of the R9. The Phase Offset is adjusted until the signal level on the Receiver X output is maximized.

  • Page 112: Feedback Loops

    Hardware Space Components Figure B.15. Lock-in Amplifier operating independent of the inputs B.7. Feedback Loops There are two general purpose Feedback Loops (PI) available for use in controlling the SPM. These PI icons are found in the Probe Interface Signal drawer of the Item Palette. The PI controller labeled Z PI Controller is generally used for the feedback control of the Z Piezo.

  • Page 113: Figure B.16. Feedback Loop Controllers

    Hardware Space Components Figure B.16. Feedback Loop Controllers The Value (1) data entry box sets the Set Point of the Feedback Loop. The unit for the Set Point will be automatically displayed, based on the unit and scale of the Preamplifier, or External Hardware Device connected to the Input channel.
  • Page 114 Hardware Space Components position, but the Upper Bound will still allow the tip to retract under normal feedback loop control. In most cases this control will be hidden on the dashboard. It is typically only set during an experimental Procedure. The Feedback Loop is a Proportional-Integral (PI) controller that allows independent settings of the Proportional and Integral feedback parameters.

  • Page 115: Auxiliary Pi Feedback Controller

    Hardware Space Components • Logarithmic: The Logarithmic setting subtracts the log of the Input signal from the log of the set point to generate the error signal. This setting is typically used when the response of the probe to sample interaction is exponential.

  • Page 116: Kelvin Pi Feedback Controller

    Hardware Space Components Figure B.20. Aux PI Input Settings B.7.2. Kelvin PI Feedback Controller A Kelvin PI Feedback Controller can be used as feedback controller for Kelvin Probe measurements. Some example connections are shown below. Figure B.21. Kelvin PI Feedback Controller The Kelvin PI must connect to Lock-in Amplifier 1.

  • Page 117: Filters For High Speed Inputs

    Hardware Space Components The Kelvin PI has fewer controls than the Z PI feedback controller. There are the Setpiont, Proportional Gain, Integral Gain, and Tip Control. Figure B.23. Kelvin PI input Settings B.8. Filters for High Speed Inputs The Filter hardware item can be used in addition to the existing Lock-in Amplifiers and PLL. It only has the first order (one-pole) Butterworth filters: 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, 4 kHz.

  • Page 118: Scan Processor

    Hardware Space Components both channels. The data recorded is the raw data coming into the Channel 1 Input and Channel 2 Input without any filtering. This data is constantly flowing into a FIFO buffer. When the Transient Recorder is triggered, this buffer is sent to the PC for display. The Transient Recorder cannot be used to continuously stream data at these high rates to the PC.

  • Page 119: Slope Compensation Range

    Hardware Space Components Figure B.26. Scan Processor B.10.1. Slope Compensation Range The X and Y slope compensation control accepts percentage values. Figure B.27. Slope Compensation B.11. Internal Piezo Modulation The Internal Piezo Modulation icon is a Numerically Controlled Oscillator (NCO) that is used to provide modulation on any of the High Voltage Amplifiers.

  • Page 120: Figure B.28. Internal Piezo Modulation

    Figure B.28. Internal Piezo Modulation The Internal Modulation Amplitude (A) is an R9 Control that accepts a Value in the range of 0 to 1 V, where "1 V" represents a modulation over the full range of the HVA. For example, if an Internal Modulation Amplitude of 0.1 V is summed into a HVA with an output range of ±150 V, the HVA output...

  • Page 121: High Voltage Amplifiers

    Hardware Space Components Figure B.29. Internal Piezo Modulation Output B.12. High Voltage Amplifiers There are eight identical High Voltage Amplifiers (HVA) available for use in controlling the SPM. These HVA icons are found in the Probe Interface I/O drawer of the Item Palette. Each of these HV amplifiers is connected to its own DAC allowing a high level of flexibility in configuring the system.

  • Page 122: Figure B.31. High Voltage X Scan Signal Output Examples

    These limits are generally used to protect output components from being damaged from the application of too high of a voltage. The HV Gain of the R9 controller is fixed and would not change. Typical values for the HV Gain are 1, 15, and 21.5. The absolute maximum voltage output of a HVA is the HV Gain * 10.
  • Page 123 Hardware Space Components Some piezo elements are damaged if they are reverse polarized, so the Output Type should be set to Unipolar, preventing the output from going negative. Important This HV Gain parameter is only changed if the actual hardware gain of the HVA is changed, which would require changing components on the circuit board.

  • Page 124: Status Adcs

    Hardware Space Components B.13. Status ADCs The four Status A/D Inputs connect to the R9 PSD Interface to read in the four segment PSD voltages. These signals can optionally be measured and recorded as any other data channels. These can also be used as general purpose differential inputs with a ±0.5 V input range.

  • Page 125: Ttl Inputs And Outputs

    Hardware Space Components B.15. TTL Inputs and Outputs There are eight TTL Input lines and eight TTL Output lines available for handshaking and trigger applications. The TTL lines are broken into blocks of four TTL lines each. The TTL I/O icons are found in the Communication, Network, and Digital Input/Output (DIO) drawer of the Item Palette.

  • Page 126: Forth Scripts

    Space. This can be used to make a note about a special feature of that IHL file or a reminder of why things were changed from a default configuration. The text in the Description window has no effect on the operation of R9. The Description icon is found in the General drawer of the Item Palette. Figure B.36. Description...

  • Page 127: Measure Item

    The Measure Item is the component that enables the data channels in the R9 Controller. Altogether, there are 40 possible data channels inside of R9, in many cases only a few are of interest during an experiment. Connecting the Value input pin of the Measure Item to a signal source on the Hardware Space starts data flowing from that channel to the PC.

  • Page 128: Data Channels Have User-Configurable Names

    B.19. External Hardware Devices The External Hardware Device drawer on the Item Palette contains numerous predefined hardware devices that are combined with the internal components of R9 to make a complete SPM control system. B.19.1. Preamps Figure B.39. External Hardware Devices - Preamps...

  • Page 129: External Control Support For Femto Preamps

    The input pin of the IVP is connected to the Tip pin of an STM microscope. The output pin of the IVP is connected to one of the Input Channels of the R9. As this connection is made, the properties of the preamplifier are propagated to the Input Channel, defining its unit, scale, and full scale reading.

  • Page 130: Pmc100 (Piezo Motor Controller)

    The PMC100 has two connections that control its operation. The first is an Ethernet connection to the PC. As the R9 already has an Ethernet connection to the PC, the PC, PMC100 and the R9 controller should all be connected to the same Ethernet network switch. The predefined IP address for the PMC100 is 192.168.10.65.

  • Page 131: Z Scan Input Added To The Piezo Tube Item

    PPC200 are external to the R9 controller and do not need to be connected by virtual wiring. The PPC200 has a USB connection that plugs into the PC. The driver for the PPC200 is already part of the R9 software package and no further drivers are required.

  • Page 132: Microscopes

    Hardware Space Components B.20. Microscopes The Microscope drawer on the Item Palette contains preconfigured Microscope icons as well as the tools to create any configuration of microscope. To use any preconfigured microscope, drag the desired Microscope onto the Hardware Space. To create a new microscope design, drag the New Microscope Configurator onto the Hardware Space.

  • Page 133: Figure B.47. Show/Hide Items From Hardware Composites

    Hardware Space Components Note Individual hardware space components contained in Hardware Composites can be shown or hidden from the Dashboard. Figure B.47. Show/Hide Items from Hardware Composites...

  • Page 134: Appendix C. Connecting The Microscope

    Appendix C. Connecting the Microscope This appendix will contain information about connecting various types of microscopes to the R9 Controller. C.1. RHK UHV300/700 - STM Beetle Figure C.1. RHK STM Beetle - Connections Block Diagram Required components: 1. RHK UHV300/700 STM Beetle Microscope 2.

  • Page 135: Figure C.3. Combined Bias And Preamp Cable

    UHV300/700 - STM Beetle system, the R9 Controller, and the PPC200. The computer and the connections between the R9 Controller, the PPC200, and the computer have been left out for clarity, but are called out in the wiring descriptions below.

  • Page 136: Rhk Uhv350/750 - Afm/Stm Beetle

    8. Connect the preamp into the BNC on the UHV300/700 scan flange that is connected to the STM tip. 9. Connect the IVP-200 preamplifier to the IVP-R9 with the supplied cable. Connect the Bias Output BNC of the IVP-R9 to the appropriate BNC connector on the sample stage flange.

  • Page 137: Rhk Uhv900 - Pan Stm

    Connecting the Microscope C.3. RHK UHV900 - Pan STM Figure C.5. RHK STM Pan - Connections Block Diagram Required components: 1. RHK Pan Microscope 2. RHK R9 Controller...

  • Page 138: Figure C.6. Combined Bias And Preamp Cable

    4. Connect the Pan High Voltage Cable set: this cable set has three 10-pin connectors. Each connector is keyed differently so there is only one way to connect them. This cable connects to the R9 High Voltage Output, the PMC100 High Voltage Output, and the 10-pin feedthrough on the Pan Microscope.
  • Page 139 Connecting the Microscope 9. Connect the Grounding cable between the R9 Controller Grounding bolt and the Pan Microscope chamber (optional).

  • Page 140: Appendix D. R9 Connector Pinouts

    Appendix D. R9 Connector Pinouts D.1. R9 Preamp I/O 44-Pin Female Connector Figure D.1. R9 Preamp I/O 44-Pin Female Connector...

  • Page 141: R9 Dc Power Output 9-Pin Female Connector

    R9 Connector Pinouts D.2. R9 DC Power Output 9-Pin Female Connector Figure D.2. DC Power Output 9-Pin Female Connector...

  • Page 142: R9 Laser I/O 26-Pin Female Connector

    R9 Connector Pinouts D.3. R9 Laser I/O 26-Pin Female Connector Figure D.3. R9 Laser I/O 26-Pin Female Connector...

  • Page 143: R9 High Voltage Output 10-Pin Female Connector

    R9 Connector Pinouts D.4. R9 High Voltage Output 10-Pin Female Connector Figure D.4. R9 High Voltage Output 10-Pin Female Connector Figure D.5. R9 High Voltage Output Defaults for RHK Microscopes...

  • Page 144: R9 Rear Panel Bncs

    R9 Connector Pinouts D.5. R9 Rear Panel BNCs Figure D.6. R9 Rear Panel BNCs Note The CH1 Preamp Monitor and CH2 Preamp Monitor only connect to the CH1 Input and CH2 Input on the Preamp I/O connector.

  • Page 145: R9 Low Voltage Outputs 15-Pin Female Connector

    R9 Connector Pinouts D.6. R9 Low Voltage Outputs 15-Pin Female Connector Figure D.7. R9 Low Voltage Outputs 15-Pin Female Connector...

  • Page 146: R9 Digital I/O 25-Pin Female Connectors (2)

    R9 Connector Pinouts D.7. R9 Digital I/O 25-Pin Female Connectors (2) Figure D.8. R9 Digital I/O 25-Pin Connectors...

  • Page 147: R9 Preamp I/O Cable 44-Pin To 15-Pin

    R9 Connector Pinouts D.8. R9 Preamp I/O Cable 44-pin to 15-pin Figure D.9. R9 Preamp I/O Cable 44-pin to 15-pin...

  • Page 148: Appendix E. Configuring The High Voltage Block

    Appendix E. Configuring the High Voltage Block This appendix will discuss how to configure the High Voltage Block for use with the various scan head designs. It will also have information about setting the jumpers on the high voltage boards to change the bandwidth of the high voltage outputs.

  • Page 149: Rhk Uhv300/700 Stm Beetle

    Configuring the High Voltage Block The RHK Microscopes use the following configurations: • RHK UHV300/700 STM Beetle: Type H • RHK UHV350/750 AFM/STM Beetle: Type D • RHK UHV900 Pan: Type C E.1. RHK UHV300/700 STM Beetle Figure E.2. RHK UHV300/700 High Voltage Block E.2.

  • Page 150: Rhk Uhv900 Stm Pan

    Configuring the High Voltage Block E.3. RHK UHV900 STM Pan Figure E.4. RHK UHV900 High Voltage Block...

  • Page 151: Appendix F. Approach

    Appendix F. Approach The R9 Software can be configured to control many different approach systems. Information about the requirements of each approach system can be found in this Appendix as well as details on how to configure each system. There are several different behaviors that are commonly desired in an approach system: •...

  • Page 152: Rhk Stm Beetle - Uhv300/700

    F.1.1. Confirm Connections to Microscope The RHK STM Beetle microscope requires the RHK PPC200 for coarse motion. The PPC200 accepts three inputs from the R9 Controller's high voltage outputs: +X, -X, Common. The ±X inputs are typically supplied equal signals with opposite polarities.

  • Page 153: Check Approach And Feedback Settings

    A quick explanation of the preloaded Approach Procedures: • Beetle Single Step In: The R9 Controller will switch the PPC200 to Z-STM and the STM scan head will make a single step towards the sample. This can be useful for fine adjustments.

  • Page 154: Beetle Single Step In

    A quick explanation of the preloaded Approach Procedures: • Beetle Single Step In: The R9 Controller will switch the PPC200 to Z-AFM and the AFM scan head will make a single coarse step towards the sample. This can be useful for fine adjustments.

  • Page 155: Beetle Single Step Out

    Figure F.4. Beetle Single Step In Procedure The R9 Controller will switch the PPC200 to Z-AFM and the AFM scan head will make a single coarse step towards the sample. This can be useful for fine adjustments. The important pieces of the Procedure have been marked: 1.

  • Page 156: Beetle Fast Out

    Approach • The Reps of Inertial Steps is greatly increased. It could be set to take a specific number of steps, or simply set to a large number because this Approach Procedure is meant to be stopped manually. F.2.2.4. Beetle Fast Out The Beetle Fast Out Procedure is almost identical to the Beetle Single Step Out Procedure.

  • Page 157: Check Approach And Feedback Settings

    The PMC100 has a 10-pin connector that will connect to the Pan's feedthrough plug. The PMC100 also requires its Ext. Trigger BNC to be connected to the Digital I/O on the rear panel of the R9 Controller using the supplied cable. This is used to trigger the PMC100 to make Coarse Approach steps.

  • Page 158: Appendix G. Feedback Modes

    Setpoint. The Z feedback controller has three different feedback modes that differ in how they resolve this problem: • Linear: This is the standard linear mode that is implemented on all PI controllers in the R9 Controller. The Proportional Gain is set to zero by default. Typical starting values for the Integral Gain range from 1 to 4 km/As for STM.

  • Page 159: Stm Mode

    Feedback Modes The Logarithmic mode subtracts the log of the Input Signal from the log of the Setpoint to generate the error signal. err = log((InputSignal - 0.001) / (Setpoint - 0.001)) / log(1000) • Divide: This mode helps to compensate the effects of increased loop gain due to increases in the Setpoint that occurs with the Linear mode.

  • Page 160: Appendix H. Helpful Hints

    3 GB of addressable memory space. Now Windows will report Out of Memory when the application uses up around 2.4 GB of memory or more. The result of this change is that more memory is available to the R9 software which will provide a better user experience.

  • Page 161: Appendix I. Details On An Ihl File's Construction

    Figure I.1. RHK UHV300 STM IHL The figure above shows the hardware configuration for the RHK UHV300 STM. Some of the icons in the diagram may not exactly match those in the R9 version you are using. These differences are cosmetic and can be ignored.

  • Page 162: Figure I.2. Scan Processor Connection To High Voltage Block

    The outputs of the HV block that go to the microscope icon represent the connections that go from the output connections on the rear panel of the R9 Controller to the microscope's piezo scanning elements. There will be one output for each connection to the microscope. In the above-left example, the HV block...

  • Page 163: Scan Heads

    The IVP-R9 therefore has both inputs and outputs for the tunnel current as well as for the bias voltage. When the IVP-R9 is connected to an ADC input on the R9 Controller, the ADC’s input selector is automatically switched to the differential input setting and cannot be changed to look for current on the BNC inputs.

  • Page 164: Z Pi Loop

    For example, if the Integral Gain was set to 100 m/s with Logarithmic Feedback, it should now be set to roughly 10 um/s. The difference in scaling is caused by the necessary changes that were made to the R9 firmware in order to expand its capability. We apologize for the inconvenience.

  • Page 165: Channel 1 Drive

    When used for STM applications, the differential output on the preamp connector is used. The preamp cable supplied connects between the R9’s preamp connector and the IVP-R9 Bias-Preamp Interface Module. The bias voltage output range on the IVP-R9 has a range of ±10 V and a bandwidth of 50 kHz.

  • Page 166: Scan Area Window

    By default, the data rate on each data channel is set to 10 kHz. As the number of channels increases, the data pipeline between the R9 and the PC can start to get full, so the data rate may need to be decreased as the number of channels increases.

  • Page 167: Fast Sweep Aborts

    Details on an IHL File's Constructions I.15. Fast Sweep Aborts The Fast Sweep Abort tool can be used to abort a sweep before it completes based on a signal rising above the Limit Max or falling below the Limit Min that are set inside of the procedure. I.15.1.

  • Page 168: Yes/No' Message Box

    Details on an IHL File's Constructions I.16. ‘Yes/No’ Message Box The Yes/No Message Box allows the user to make a real-time decision that affects the outcome of the procedure. For example, after the probe has approached the sample, it could be retracted. Then, the procedure could ask the user if feedback should be enabled.

  • Page 169: Multiple R9 Controls In A State

    IHL update utility. I.17.1. Sweep Options in R9 Controls The interface in R9 Controls has only three options to the sweep type: Set, Sweep and AWG.  Set - The controller changes the output to the new value immediately.

  • Page 170: Figure I.9. Simplified R9 Controls

    Details on an IHL File's Constructions Figure I.9. Sweep Options in R9 Controls...

  • Page 171: Appendix J. Details On Procedure Space Constructions

    J.1. Constructing Procedures Procedures that run on the R9 control system are constructed from a set of building blocks in Procedure Space. There are a set of rules that must be followed when building a procedure. A number of examples will be presented, starting from the very basic to more complex that demonstrate the basic construction of procedures.

  • Page 172: Figure J.2. New Procedure Space

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.2. New Procedure Space All procedures consist of: • One Start button • One Stop button • At least one State • At least one Activate inside of the State Basic rules: • All Actions in a Procedure must be placed inside of a State. •...

  • Page 173: Connecting Components In Hardware Space And Procedure Space

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions • Only the first Action icon input pin can be left open. All other Action input pins must be connected to the output of another Action icon. • An Action icon output pin can only have one connection. This is required to maintain the deterministic behavior.

  • Page 174: Deleting A Connecting Line

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.4. Selecting a Wire Next click the mouse on the pin on either end of the wire. Arranging pins will appear on both ends of the wire as shown in the figure below. Click the mouse on the head of one of the “arranging pins.” While holding the mouse button down, drag the pin and watch how the connecting line moves.

  • Page 175: Example Procedure

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.6. Deleting a Wire J.5. Example Procedure In the example of Procedure 13, the Start button is connected to the Initialize input of the State as is required in all procedures. When entering a State through the Initialize pin, the State comes up in its default condition.

  • Page 176: Figure J.9. Pulse Tip - Ch1 Drive Properties

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Drive”. The layout of the parameter panels may not look exactly like this example. Also, some of the infrequently used parameters may have been turned off. This is not a problem and does not effect the way in which the parameters are used Figure J.9.

  • Page 177: Figure J.10. Pulse Tip - Hiding Ch1 Drive Properties

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.10. Pulse Tip - Hiding CH1 Drive Properties In the Value parameter panel, the Mode has been set to Hard Accelerate. This means the voltage will immediately jump from the current value to the new value, creating a pulse. The other Mode settings allow the voltage to be gradually ramped to the new value.

  • Page 178: Figure J.11. Pulse Tip - Setting The Ch1 Drive Pulse Rise

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.11. Pulse Tip - Setting the CH1 Drive Pulse Rise Now that the bias voltage has jumped by 5 V from the previous bias voltage, the length of the pulse must be defined. Clicking on the Delay icon will bring up the Properties panel as shown below. The time that the bias is to stay at the new higher value is entered into the Period data entry box.

  • Page 179: Setting Parameters As Reference Or Value

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions The Value is now set to -5 V and the Value type is set to Relative Value. As the rising edge of the pulse added +5 V relative to the original bias voltage, this -5 V drop in the voltage will return the bias to its value before the start of the pulse.

  • Page 180: Naming A Procedure

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions From the dropdown Value box, scroll down and select STM Bias > Value. This will return the bias voltage to the value that was selected in the Dashboard. The current value of that parameter will be displayed to help you make sure that the correct parameter was referenced.

  • Page 181: Validating The Procedure

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions • Scan: Procedures that are run when topographic data alone is to be acquired. • Spectroscopy: Procedures to be run when Spectroscopic data is to be acquired without simultaneously acquiring topographic data. • Tip Manipulations: Procedures used to manually or programmatically manipulate the tip, other than during imaging.

  • Page 182: Figure J.16. Validating A Procedure

    The Procedure Validation makes sure the Procedure can be correctly executed by the R9 Controller. The results of the Validation process is shown on the Output tab that is docked to the bottom of the screen. If any errors are encountered, the cause of the error will be detailed, allowing an easy method to find and correct the error in the procedure.

  • Page 183: Figure J.17. Results Of Validation

    In addition to the Validation test, wiring errors are also shown in real-time. If a connection is made that cannot be executed by R9, it will be immediately shown as a red line. This error will also be shown during the Validation process if it was not corrected.

  • Page 184: Figure J.19. Validation Status Indicators

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.19. Validation Status Indicators Procedures are compiled from the IHDL™ and downloaded to the R9 Controller when the Initialize button is pressed. This process can take a few minutes to complete. The status of this process is displayed on the bottom-right corner of the screen.

  • Page 185: Running The Procedure

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.21. Compile on Initialize J.9. Running the Procedure Important Only one procedure can be run at a time. Starting one procedure while another procedure is already running will cause the first procedure to terminate, followed by the running of the second procedure.

  • Page 186: From A Procedure Panel

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.22. Opening a Procedure from Hardware Space Now that the procedure is docked to Hardware Space, it can be run by pressing the Start button on the Execute tab of the ribbon. Figure J.23. Running a Procedure from Hardware Space J.9.2.

  • Page 187: Adding Loops To Procedures

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions J.11. Adding Loops to Procedures The above example showed the basic construction of a Procedure. The following example will add another components to illustrate other capabilities that can be employed to build a more complex and useful Procedure.

  • Page 188: Figure J.26. Selecting Multiple Objects

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.26. Selecting Multiple Objects Now that the three objects are selected, press <Ctrl>+X on the keyboard or select Edit > Cut from the ribbon. The three selected objects will be removed from the State. Left-click the Loop to make it the active selection.

  • Page 189: Figure J.27. Cutting And Pasting Objects In Procedure Space

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.27. Cutting and Pasting Objects in Procedure Space Note The lines between multiple items that are Cut or Copied are maintained during the Paste operation. Note Entire States, Loops, and their contents, can be Cut, Copied, and Pasted. Select the Loop to make it active, then Cut the Loop by pressing <Ctrl>+X or by selecting Edit >...

  • Page 190: Figure J.28. Cutting And Pasting States And Loops Inside Procedure Space

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.28. Cutting and Pasting States and Loops inside Procedure Space After the Loop has been Pasted inside of the State, the Loop Count needs to be set. Select the Loop by left-clicking inside of it and its Properties will appear on the left. In this example, the Count was set to Figure J.29.

  • Page 191: Accidental Deletion Of A State Or Loop

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions Figure J.30. Tip Pulses inside a Loop J.11.1. Accidental Deletion of a State or Loop R9s will ask for confirmation when deleting a State or a Loop that contains other objects. This is to help protect against accidentally deleting a container object from mis-clicking the mouse.

  • Page 192: A "Script Conditional" Item

    The Post-Initialize and Pre-Shutdown procedures can be defined if special behavior is desired when the R9 Controller is Initialized or Shutdown. The Post-Initialize procedure is run after the R9 Controller is Initialized. An example procedure that may be run after the controller is Initialized is to set the High Voltage Outputs to certain values before enabling the High Voltage Relays.

  • Page 193: Figure J.34. Configure Post-Initialize And Pre-Shutdown Procedures

    Details on Procedure Space Constructions procedure is run before the R9 Controller is Shutdown. An example procedure that may be run before the controller is Shutdown is to make the probe take several coarse steps away from the sample. The Post-Initialize and Pre-Shutdown procedures can be selected from Hardware Space on the Properties panel when no hardware item is selected.

  • Page 194: Appendix K. Reference Guide

    Appendix K. Reference Guide This Appendix will contain detailed information about various aspects of the software. K.1. Scan Area Window The Scan Area Window is used to configure and control typical SPM imaging scenarios. The most commonly used controls are located on the main Scan Area Window panel. Other, less commonly used controls are located on the expanded Config panel.

  • Page 195: Figure K.2. Toggle Zoom

    Reference Guide 1. Scan Controls: These controls are used to Start acquiring an image, Pause image acquisition, causes the image acquisition Stop Immediately, Stop acquisition at the End of the image scan, and Save the image if autosave is disabled (see the Save tab of the expanded Scan Area Window). 2.

  • Page 196: Figure K.3. Procedure Panels

    Reference Guide 6. Procedure Panel Launch Buttons: The Procedure Panel Launch Buttons are used to open the different Procedure Panels. The Procedure Panels are where various types of Procedures can be Started and Stopped. The Procedures can also quickly be opened in either Hardware Space or Procedure Space to change parameters or modify the Procedure sequence.

  • Page 197: Figure K.4. Configuring Procedure Panels

    Reference Guide Figure K.4. Configuring Procedure Panels 7. Scan Area Adjustment Buttons: The Arrow buttons can move the Scan Area to a different location in the Scan Range. The Square button centers the Scan Area in the middle of the Scan Range. The other buttons are for rotating the Scan Area clockwise, counterclockwise, or zero rotation.

  • Page 198: Advanced Panel

    Reference Guide Figure K.6. Z Feedback Bar 12. Tip Position: The tip's current position is shown with a Green Arrow in the Scan Area Window Display. It is useful to see the tip's position when taking spectroscopy at a specific location or pulsing the tip.
  • Page 199 Reference Guide 1. Points per Line: Presently only the Follow Lines option is enabled. The R9 data collection system is not based on pixels, but rather on time. That means that interactions of the probe and the surface are measured at a constant interval that can vary from milliseconds to microseconds, depending on the experiment.

  • Page 200: Save Panel

    Reference Guide K.1.3. Save Panel Figure K.8. Scan Area Window Save Panel 1. File Name: The file name as entered will form the root of the actual file name. The complete file name for a saved measurement, whether it is an image or a spectroscopic measurement will include the 'file name', along with the year, month, date, and time that the measurement was made.

  • Page 201: Figure K.10. Parameters Changed During Image Acquisition

    Full History consists of: • The complete IHL file that was being used. • Procedural notifications, parameter changes, and status channel (R9 Status) during procedure execution. • Supporting Index files that cross references pixelated data and time series data.

  • Page 202: Save - Datasafe

    Enabling Image Line (3) will cause the R9 Software to save partially acquired images at various times during acquisition based on the Save Every (4) setting. This can be useful if a lab has unstable power and the users do not wish to lose data if the power to the computer or R9 Controller fails.

  • Page 203: Figure K.12. Scan Area Window Navigation Config. Panel

    Reference Guide Figure K.12. Scan Area Window Navigation Config. Panel 1. Set Scan Speed: These radio buttons select how the scan speed is specified on the SAW. If the Tip Velocity is checked, the scan speed will be entered as a tip velocity in nm/s. The data box for the line time will be grayed out and will show a calculated value for the line time.

  • Page 204: Xy Graph Windows

    Reference Guide K.2. XY Graph Windows Figure K.13. XY Graph Window Image data will generally be acquired on a line by line basis and displayed in an Image Window. Each line scan can be viewed on an XY Graph Window by selecting Image Line from the Workbench toolbar. Other types of data may also be displayed on these XY Graph Windows.

  • Page 205: Zoom

    Reference Guide Use the Select Previous or Select Next toolbar buttons to cycle through the displayed curves. For some types of data, additional information will become available on the Status Bar, such as the physical XY coordinate where the curve was acquired, or the relative time the curve was acquired. Pressing Select Previous when the first curve is selected or pressing Select Next when the last curve is selected will leave no curve selected.

  • Page 206: Cursor Mode

    Reference Guide The Zoom tool can be used to change our XY Graph view to show more or less of the data. • Left-click the XY Graph to zoom in by a fixed ratio. • <Ctrl>+Left-click the XY Graph to zoom out by a fixed ratio. •...

  • Page 207: Statistics

    Reference Guide Figure K.16. XY Graph Toolbar - Cursor Mode Cursor Mode can be used to make measurements on a curve in the XY Graph Window. The two endpoints are chosen by clicking and dragging the mouse inside the XY Graph Window. Some quick information is available on the Cursor Mode tab.

  • Page 208: Pan

    Reference Guide Figure K.18. XY Graph Toolbar - Autoscale Selecting Autoscale will change the XY Graph Window's maximum and minimum XY boundaries to fit the entire graph in the XY Graph Window's display. K.2.1.5. Pan Figure K.19. XY Graph Toolbar - Pan The Pan tool can be used to move the XY Graph Window's view to a display a different section of the data.

  • Page 209: Settings Tab

    Reference Guide K.2.2. Settings Tab Figure K.21. XY Graph Settings Pressing the Settings Tab toolbar icon will expand the XY Graph Window to include some additional features. K.2.2.1. Curves Tab Figure K.22. XY Graph Settings - Curves The Curves Tab allows some visual customization of the data. The displayed data channel can be selected from the Primary drop-down menu.

  • Page 210: Show

    Reference Guide Figure K.23. XY Graph Settings - Panes K.2.2.1.1 Show Up to 4 data sets can be viewed on different panes in an XY Graph Window at the same time. Each pane can display the same or different data as other panes. Each pane can be viewed with different settings. K.2.2.1.2 Preprocessing Modes Figure K.24.

  • Page 211: Display Modes

    Reference Guide • 2nd Derivative: numerically calculates the second derivative of the data over a certain number of points. • Integral: numerically calculates the integral of the data over a certain number of points. • Density of State: numerically calculates dI(V)/dV / I(V)/V. A zero threshold can be set to prevent division by zero.

  • Page 212: Layout Tab

    Reference Guide The Curve Attributes dialog can be used to customize the XY Graph Window's displayed curves. Individual curves can be shown or hidden. The average curve can also be displayed. Specific curves can be included or ignored when calculating the average curve. •...

  • Page 213: Cursor Mode Tab

    Reference Guide • X Scale: the X Axis can have its minimum and maximum manually specified, or set to Auto to show the full domain of data. The X Axis can use a logarithmic scale, which can be useful for certain types of data.

  • Page 214: Oscilloscope

    Reference Guide made so the user does not have to modify the secondary graph color to distinguish it from the Primary graph color. An example of where this is useful is the Image Line where the forward and reverse traces are drawn on the same graph, but we would want to use different colors to make them easy to see clearly.

  • Page 215: Spectrum Analyzer

    Reference Guide The Oscilloscope has the following settings: • Data Rate: controls how many samples per second will be acquired. • Time / Div: sets the duration of the • Samples: this will equal the Data Rate x Time/Div x 10. K.4.

  • Page 216: Settings

    Reference Guide K.4.1. Settings Figure K.33. Spectrum Analyzer Settings The Spectrum Analyzer settings can be changed to fit the needs of the measurement. • Points to Acquire: determines the frequency interval. Also directly affects the time required to acquire the spectral data. •...

  • Page 217: Monitor

    Reference Guide 1. If the feedback loop is active, the signal should show no variations below the bandwidth cutoff frequency since the loop is supposed to maintain a constant signal by varying the Z Piezo Signal. This means low frequency noise will not appear in the Input Signal, but it will be present in the Topography Signal.

  • Page 218: Controls

    Reference Guide Linear Horizontal Linear Vertical Digital Note The data in the Monitor display items will be averaged between readings instead of displaying single readings at periodic intervals. Additionally, the Digital Monitor item has been fixed and will conveniently update its value and unit using the same method that is used to display the numerical values and units on the text entry boxes throughout the rest of the software.

  • Page 219: Transient Recorder And Transient Recorder Fft

    K.6. Transient Recorder and Transient Recorder FFT The R9 controller has two high speed inputs that sample at 100 MHz each. This data is digitized by the A/D conversion and is sent to both the FPGA and to the Transient Recorder buffer. The Transient Recorder buffer can hold 512*1024 = 524,288 samples for both the CH1 Input and the CH2 Input.

  • Page 220: Figure K.36. Transient Recorder Fft Output

    Reference Guide R9s will also calculate the FFT of the data sent up from the Transient Recorder. The default bandwidth of 50 MHz is half the 100 MHz sampling rate. The bandwidth can also be reduced by decimating the input. With a decimation of 50, the bandwidth would be a factor of 50 lower (1 MHz) as shown below.
  • Page 221 Reference Guide There are other applications for which the Transient Recorder and Transient Recorder FFT are useful. For example, high speed noise measurements can be performed in a procedure at each step of a bias ramp. Please contact RHK Support for more information on using the Transient Recorder.

  • Page 222: Appendix L. Power Supply Wiring

    Appendix L. Power Supply Wiring The R9 Controller's power supply can be wired for 100 VAC, 120 VAC, and 230 VAC input voltages. The two fuses F1 and F2 are Slo-Blo Type-T, selected based on the input voltage. The figure below shows how the R9 Controller power supply's terminal strip is configured for different input voltages.

  • Page 223: Appendix M. Graphically Configured Oscillators And Lock-In Amplifiers

    Appendix M. Graphically Configured Oscillators and Lock-in Amplifiers Modulations and reference frequencies are configured graphically. Typically, the CH1 Drive will be used as the Master Oscillator and its Reference Frequency will control the behavior of other connected Hardware Items. The response of the connected items will follow this formula: Response = ReferenceFrequency * HarmonicFactor + FrequencyOffset The response will either be an output frequency or a lock-in detection frequency.

  • Page 224: Advanced Example

    External Control Interface Figure M.2. Typical reference setup on the Dashboard M.2. Advanced Example Referenced Frequencies do not only have to be between a Drive Output and Lockin Input. In the below example, the CH1 Drive Reference Output pin is connected to the Reference Input pins of two lock-in amplifiers as well as the CH2 Drive.

  • Page 225: Figure M.4. Advanced Reference Setup On The Dashboard

    Power Supply Wiring Figure M.4. Advanced reference setup on the Dashboard...

  • Page 226: Appendix N. Phase-Locked Loop (Pll)

    AFM (NC-AFM). The R9 PLL has an additional feedback loop that can hold a setpoint of the lock-in signal by varying the drive amplitude to maintain the setpoint. In this case, both feedback loops would be active and either dF or the drive amplitude error signal (dissipation) could be fed to the Z-PI controller.

  • Page 227: Frequency Sweeps

    Power Supply Wiring of the cantilever. The PSD Alignment Window displays the laser intensities on each quadrant as a voltage. It also displays calculated values for the Total Signal, Normal Force, and Lateral Force. The values are calculated as follows: Normal Force (A1+A2)-(B1+B2)

  • Page 228: Coarse Sweep

    Measure Peak procedure if the LIA Phase wraps from -180 degrees to 180 degrees near the resonant frequency (optional as the Set Frequency procedure fixes this internal to the R9) Figure N.3. Frequency Sweep N.2.1.

  • Page 229: Measure Peak

    Power Supply Wiring N.2.2. Measure Peak The Measure Peak Range is determined by the position of the outer cursors. These cursors are moved by dragging them with the mouse and should be positioned around the resonance peak to be measured. Pressing Measure Peak will being the resonance peak measure. After the Measure Peak is completed, the frequency at which the LIA Amplitude is at its maximum will be marked with the middle cursor.

  • Page 230: Procedures

    Please refer to the Frequency Sweeps Quick Start Guide for more information. Appendix O. Inventor SDK The Inventor SDK enables the user to control the R9 with text commands sent over Ethernet to the R9 software. The text commands can be sent from any application including those built with LabVIEW, Matlab, C/C++/C#, Python, Java, etc.

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