Piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper, step scanner, and scanning probe microscope

Abstract

This invention discloses a piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper, a stepping scanner, and a scanning probe microscope, relating to the field of piezoelectric device technology. It includes a base, a piezoelectric tube, a sliding rod, and an elastic element. One end of the piezoelectric tube is fixed to the base, and the other end forms a free end. The side of the sliding rod contacts the free end of the piezoelectric tube. The elastic element applies a pulling force towards the piezoelectric tube to press the sliding rod against the free end. The piezoelectric tube is divided into at least two independent sets of piezoelectric blocks along its axial direction, and the sliding rod presses onto the ends of these two sets of piezoelectric blocks. The two sets of piezoelectric blocks can synchronously undergo opposite deformations, one extending and one contracting, under differential driving voltages of opposite polarities. This invention achieves precise and efficient control of the sliding rod's movement by axially dividing the piezoelectric tube into two independent sets of piezoelectric blocks and using differential driving voltages of opposite polarities to synchronously perform opposite deformations, one extending and one contracting.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of piezoelectric device technology, specifically to a piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper, a stepping scanner, and a scanning probe microscope. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) employ piezoelectric motors as the device for controlling the distance between the tip and the sample. The working principle of a piezoelectric motor is based on the inverse piezoelectric effect proposed by Pierre Curie. When a voltage is applied in the polarization direction of a piezoelectric device, the device undergoes mechanical deformation in the corresponding direction. For piezoelectric ceramics, because they retain the inherent polarization characteristics formed during the manufacturing process, the corresponding deformation can be induced by adjusting the applied voltage. Furthermore, the deformation is typically on the nanometer scale, perfectly matching the precise control requirements of the tip-sample distance in SPMs. Therefore, they become ideal nanoscale stepping drive elements, enabling high-precision movement and positioning.

[0003] Currently, mainstream linear piezoelectric motors can be divided into two categories: inertial motors and non-inertial motors. Non-inertial piezoelectric motors have advantages such as high-precision positioning, fast response speed, and low operating noise, but they also have disadvantages such as weak driving force, limited working stroke, and poor resistance to external vibration interference. Therefore, they are not suitable for use in extreme systems such as strong magnetic fields and extremely low temperatures. In contrast, inertial piezoelectric motors, with their simple structure of "piezoelectric motor + inertial block", achieve millimeter-level miniaturization and can be directly embedded in the narrow space of SPM (Surface Mount Piezoelectric Motor).

[0004] A search revealed that patent application CN117997161A discloses a piezoelectric tube self-guided inertial piezoelectric motor, which includes a polygonal slider, a base, a spring plate, and a circular piezoelectric tube. One end of the circular piezoelectric tube is fixed to the base, and the other end is a free end. The polygonal slider is coaxially inserted into the circular piezoelectric tube. The spring plate applies a positive pressure perpendicular to the deformation direction of the circular piezoelectric tube, elastically pressing the polygonal slider onto the circular piezoelectric tube. The polygonal slider and the circular piezoelectric tube can slide relative to each other. The spring plate is located in the gap between the polygonal slider and the inner wall of the circular piezoelectric tube.

[0005] Its working principle is as follows: First, apply the same voltage to each piezoelectric element at the same time to cause the piezoelectric tube to deform slowly, and rely on static friction to drive the slider to move along the axis; then suddenly apply the reverse voltage, the piezoelectric tube rebounds rapidly, and the slider maintains the original motion trend due to inertia. When the inertial force exceeds the static friction force of the tube wall on the slider, the slider slides relative to the tube wall, thereby realizing the stepping motion along the tube axis.

[0006] This design relies on axial contraction deformation to generate driving force. However, this driving method requires the slide rod to have as large a mass and volume as possible to meet the requirement of increasing the slide rod's inertial force. The increase in the mass and volume of this slide rod will cause the size of the piezoelectric tube that houses the slide rod to also increase accordingly, which in turn increases the radial dimension. This makes it difficult to fit into some radially narrow spaces and limits the application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems in the prior art by proposing a piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper that abandons the original method of generating driving force through axial contraction and instead uses bending deformation to generate driving force. This allows the mass and volume of this application to be small enough to meet the corresponding application scenarios when the same driving force is required.

[0008] To address the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0009] A piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper includes:

[0010] Base;

[0011] A piezoelectric tube, one end of which is fixed to the base, and the other end of which is a free end;

[0012] The slide bar has its side in contact with the free end of the piezoelectric tube;

[0013] The elastic element is used to apply a pulling force toward the piezoelectric tube to the side of the slide rod so that the slide rod is pressed against the free end;

[0014] The piezoelectric tube is divided into at least two independent piezoelectric blocks along its axial direction, and a sliding rod is pressed onto the ends of the two piezoelectric blocks; the two piezoelectric blocks can simultaneously undergo opposite deformations, one extending and the other contracting, under differential driving voltages of opposite polarities.

[0015] As a further aspect of the present invention: the upper piezoelectric block retracts and the lower piezoelectric block extends, so that the slide rod completes the upward stepping action.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention: the ends of both sets of piezoelectric blocks are provided with grooves for accommodating the sliding rods, and the two sets of grooves are arranged along the vertical direction.

[0017] As a further aspect of the present invention, a counterweight is provided at the bottom end of the slide bar.

[0018] As a further aspect of the present invention: the elastic element is a spring, and the spring is coaxially located within the piezoelectric tube cavity.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention, at least one of the base and the slide bar is made of a rigid material with high hardness and low coefficient of thermal expansion.

[0020] The present invention also proposes a stepping scanner, wherein the piezoelectric tube further includes two independent sets of piezoelectric blocks divided along its axial direction, and the upper and lower sets of piezoelectric blocks are arranged in an interleaved manner with the left and right sets of piezoelectric blocks.

[0021] The present invention also proposes a scanning probe microscope, including a sample holder disposed on a base and a first probe disposed on the top of a slide bar, wherein the first probe is positioned relative to the sample holder.

[0022] The present invention also proposes a scanning probe microscope, including a first piezoelectric tube disposed on a base and a first sample holder disposed on the top of a slide rod, wherein a second probe is disposed at the bottom end of the first piezoelectric tube and the second probe is positioned relative to the first sample holder.

[0023] The present invention also proposes a scanning probe microscope, including a second sample holder disposed on a base and a second piezoelectric tube disposed on the top of a slide rod, wherein a third probe is disposed on the top of the second piezoelectric tube and the third probe is positioned relative to the second sample holder.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. By dividing the piezoelectric tube axially into at least two independent piezoelectric blocks, and using differential driving voltages with opposite polarities to make them synchronously perform opposite bending deformations of extension and contraction, precise and efficient control of the slider movement is achieved. Compared with the axial contraction driving method in the prior art, the bending driving method of this application can make the mass and volume of each component small enough while ensuring sufficient driving force, and the overall structure is compact to meet the needs of the corresponding application scenarios.

[0026] 2. By creating vertically arranged grooves at the ends of the upper and lower piezoelectric blocks to accommodate the sliding rod, mechanical coupling and guidance of the sliding rod are achieved. On the one hand, the grooves can directly and efficiently transmit the deformation of the piezoelectric blocks to the sliding rod, ensuring the effective transmission of driving force; on the other hand, the grooves constrain the sliding rod to tilt and rebound only on the preset contact surface, reducing uncontrollable degrees of freedom during movement and improving the linearity and reliability of the stepping motion.

[0027] 3. By increasing the total mass of the slide bar to increase its inertia, the slide bar can better resist the pull of friction during the rapid rebound phase of the piezoelectric tube, making it easier for relative sliding to occur. This effectively increases the single-step displacement or reduces the driving voltage threshold required to achieve effective sliding, thereby enhancing the driving efficiency.

[0028] 4. The basic stepper is upgraded to a multi-functional stepper scanner. By integrating two sets of piezoelectric blocks on the basis of the original upper and lower piezoelectric blocks and adopting an interleaved layout, a single piezoelectric tube can simultaneously have the ability to step in the Z direction and scan in the XY plane. This highly integrated design realizes three degrees of freedom of motion, which greatly simplifies the mechanical structure of the scanner and reduces its size.

[0029] 5. A classic scanning probe microscope configuration is constructed using the aforementioned stepper scanner. In use, the stepper scanner drives the probe to achieve three-dimensional approximation and scanning, while the sample holder fixes the sample. This configuration is stable, reliable, easy to implement and operate.

[0030] 6. An innovative scanning probe microscope configuration was constructed using the aforementioned stepper or step scanner. In use, the sample to be tested is placed on the top of the slide bar driven by the stepper, while the probe is fixed. This design is beneficial for scanning large, heavy or inconvenient samples to be mounted on the probe, thus expanding the sample carrying capacity and application flexibility of the equipment.

[0031] 7. A new scanning probe microscope configuration was constructed using the aforementioned stepper or step scanner. In use, the piezoelectric tube with integrated probe is installed at the top of the slide bar to realize the three-dimensional movement of the scanning head. This configuration makes the sample stage area more open, which is convenient for sample replacement, integration of in-situ experimental devices, or use with other equipment such as optical microscopes, thus improving the system's expandability and multifunctionality. Attached Figure Description

[0032] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0033] Figure 1 This is a front view structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the piezoelectric tube in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the piezoelectric tube in Embodiment 2 of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 5 of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which the groove is located at the junction of two adjacent piezoelectric blocks;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a waveform diagram of the differential voltage applied to the upper and lower piezoelectric blocks in Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 10 This is a voltage waveform diagram of the upper and lower piezoelectric blocks in Embodiment 3 of the present invention.

[0043] In the figure: 1. Base; 2. Piezoelectric tube; 201. Piezoelectric block; 201a. Upper piezoelectric block; 201b. Lower piezoelectric block; 201c. Left piezoelectric block; 201d. Right piezoelectric block; 3. Sliding rod; 4. Elastic element; 5. Groove; 6. Counterweight; 7. Sample holder; 8. First probe; 9. First piezoelectric tube; 10. First sample holder; 11. Second probe; 12. Second sample holder; 13. Second piezoelectric tube; 14. Third probe. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] In piezoelectric materials, there is usually a pre-defined polarization direction. Applying a voltage in the same direction as the polarization will cause the material to elongate along the polarization direction (positive voltage), while applying a voltage in the opposite direction will cause the material to contract (reverse voltage).

[0046] Example 1:

[0047] like Figures 1-2 As shown, a piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper includes a base 1 and a piezoelectric tube 2 disposed on the base 1. The piezoelectric tube 2 is arranged horizontally, with one end of the piezoelectric tube 2 fixedly installed on the base 1, and the other end forming a free end.

[0048] The piezoelectric stepper also includes a slide bar 3 and an elastic element (such as a spring) 4. The slide bar 3 is vertically arranged and its side is in contact with the free end of the piezoelectric tube 2. One end of the elastic element 4 is disposed on the base 1 and the other end is connected to the side of the slide bar 3. The elastic element 4 is used to apply a pulling force toward the piezoelectric tube 2 to the side of the slide bar 3 so that the slide bar 3 is pressed against the free end.

[0049] Furthermore, the piezoelectric tube 2 is divided into at least two independent sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 along its axial direction, and each set of piezoelectric blocks 201 is equipped with a dedicated inertial piezoelectric motor drive circuit connected to it. Its vertical arrangement is consistent with the vertical arrangement of the slide rod 3, thus causing the aforementioned slide rod 3 to be pressed against the free end, which can be represented as the side of the slide rod 3 being pressed against the ends of the upper and lower sets of piezoelectric blocks 201.

[0050] When performing step-by-step operations, the process can be categorized into a slow deformation stage and a rapid springback stage:

[0051] Slow deformation stage: A reverse voltage (the reverse voltage refers to a voltage opposite to the residual polarization direction of the piezoelectric block 201) is applied to the upper piezoelectric block 201, causing the piezoelectric block 201 to contract axially; a positive voltage (the positive voltage refers to a voltage in the same direction as the residual polarization direction of the piezoelectric block 201) is applied to the lower piezoelectric block 201, causing the piezoelectric block 201 to elongate axially; the voltage applied to the two sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 can be summarized as applying a slowly changing differential voltage to the two sets of piezoelectric blocks 201, so that the piezoelectric tube 2 produces a stable quasi-static upper left bend. During this bend, the slide rod 3 relies on the static friction force generated by the elastic element 4 to "lock" the contact point of the slide rod 3 to the ends of the upper and lower sets of piezoelectric blocks 201. Therefore, the entire slide rod 3 (including its center of mass) will follow the ends of the upper and lower sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 and move slowly to the upper left in a completely consistent manner. Specifically, the top of the slide rod 3 tilts to the left and the bottom tilts to the right. During this process, slide bar 3 undergoes an upward step displacement in the vertical direction. For example... Figure 9 As shown, this can be represented as a slowly varying differential voltage waveform applied to two sets of piezoelectric blocks 201. The waveform at the top represents the forward voltage, and the waveform at the bottom represents the reverse voltage. It should be noted that this voltage waveform only represents one method that can be used in this embodiment and is not limited to this voltage waveform. In this slow deformation stage, after the piezoelectric tube 2 is bent to the upper left to a certain extent, the forward and reverse voltages are kept constant, which will keep the aforementioned upper left bending degree unchanged. This process can be called the deformation maintenance stage. Under different usage conditions, it is possible to choose to perform the deformation maintenance stage after the slow deformation stage, and finally perform the rapid rebound stage; or to perform the rapid rebound stage directly after the slow deformation stage.

[0052] Rapid rebound phase: A rapid step reverse differential voltage pulse is applied to both sets of piezoelectric blocks 201, causing the piezoelectric tube 2 to experience a transient dynamic rebound. This voltage change causes the upper piezoelectric block 201 to rapidly elongate and the lower piezoelectric block 201 to rapidly contract, causing the free end of the piezoelectric tube 2 to bounce extremely quickly from its current position to the lower right, attempting to return to its initial position. With the piezoelectric tube 2 as a non-inertial coordinate reference frame, the slider 3 experiences an inertial force in the upper left direction; this inertial force can be orthogonally decomposed into two components: a horizontal force to the left and a vertical force to the up. During the return of the slider 3 to its upright position, it is this vertical force that overcomes gravity, giving the slider 3 a net upward displacement of its center of mass; while the horizontal force to the left is canceled out by the supporting force applied by the piezoelectric tube 2, preventing the slider 3 from moving horizontally. Finally, the slider 3 returns to its vertical position, maintaining its upward step displacement in the vertical direction.

[0053] Of course, if it is necessary for the piezoelectric stepper of this embodiment to make downward step displacement, the upper piezoelectric block 201 is stretched and the lower piezoelectric block 201 is contracted during the slow deformation stage. The specific operation is the same as described above. The difference is that the voltage direction applied to the upper and lower piezoelectric blocks 201 during the slow deformation stage and the fast rebound stage is different.

[0054] Regarding the setting of the elastic element 4 mentioned above, the elastic element 4 can be selected as a spring, and the spring is placed inside the piezoelectric tube 2. Alternatively, a rolled sleeve can be provided on the base 1, and the rolled sleeve is inserted into the inner cavity of the piezoelectric tube 2 from the fixed end of the piezoelectric tube 2. In this case, the spring is coaxially located inside the rolled sleeve, and the spring and the slide rod 3 are connected by an elastic metal wire.

[0055] like Figure 3 As shown, in order to improve the contact effect between the ends of the upper and lower piezoelectric blocks 201 and the side of the slide bar 3, grooves 5 can be provided on both the upper and lower piezoelectric blocks 201, and the line connecting the two sets of grooves 5 is along the vertical direction. At this time, the grooves 5 can play a role in accommodating and guiding the piezoelectric blocks 201.

[0056] Furthermore, to improve the inertia of the slide rod 3, a counterweight 6 can be added to the bottom of the slide rod 3. Meanwhile, at least one of the base 1, the rolled sleeve, and the slide rod 3 is made of a rigid material with high hardness and a low coefficient of thermal expansion, such as one or more selected from sapphire, zirconium oxide, titanium, and tantalum, preferably an insulating material. This effectively prevents eddy currents generated in the circuit by magnetic field ripples present in a strong magnetic field, thus avoiding unnecessary thermal effects.

[0057] On the other hand, since the driving action of the piezoelectric tube in the prior art is vertical, when the piezoelectric tube 2 is made into a piezoelectric motor and applied to equipment such as SPM, ground vibration is the main noise source, and it is mostly vertical. This vertical noise and vibration can easily interfere with the vertical driving action of the piezoelectric tube 2, thereby affecting the stability of the image and the measurement accuracy. In this embodiment, the piezoelectric tube 2 is horizontally arranged. This arrangement makes the driving direction orthogonal to the target movement direction and the main environmental vibration direction (usually vertical), which improves the anti-interference ability and motion stability of the system and lays the foundation for nanometer-level precision positioning.

[0058] Of course, the layout of piezoelectric tube 2 and slide bar 3 is not limited to... Figure 1 As shown, for example, the piezoelectric tube 2 can be arranged vertically and the slide bar 3 can be arranged horizontally; or the whole formed by the two can be tilted at a certain angle, and the specific orientation can be adaptively selected according to the actual use scenario.

[0059] Example 2:

[0060] like Figures 3-4 As shown, a stepping scanner includes the piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper of Embodiment 1. Specifically, based on the aforementioned piezoelectric tube 2 being axially divided into upper and lower sets of piezoelectric blocks 201, this embodiment further axially divides it, so that the divided piezoelectric tube 2 has four sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 in the upper, lower, left, and right directions. The upper and lower sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 and the left and right sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 are arranged in an interleaved manner. This structural state can be achieved by... Figure 3 To represent, Figure 3 The four sets of dashed lines at the free end of the medium-voltage tube 2 can be represented as dividing lines, which form four sets of circumferentially arrayed piezoelectric blocks 201. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the piezoelectric block located above can be made from... Figure 4 The piezoelectric block located below can be represented by 201a. Figure 4 The piezoelectric block on the left can be represented by 201b. Figure 4 The piezoelectric block on the right can be represented by 201c. Figure 4 It is represented by 201d in the code.

[0061] For a scanner, it needs to have XY scanning capabilities, still based on... Figure 4 As shown, a three-dimensional coordinate system is established at the axial center position of the free end of the piezoelectric tube 2. Specifically, the x-axis is set along the length direction of the piezoelectric tube 2 (the direction marked with an arrow is defined as +x), the y-axis is set in the horizontal plane perpendicular to the x-axis (the direction marked with an arrow is defined as +y), and the z-axis is set along the vertical direction (the direction marked with an arrow is defined as +z).

[0062] Under the above-described framework, the specific scanning process is as follows:

[0063] (1) When an x-axis scan is required, the piezoelectric block 201a located above and the piezoelectric block 201b located below are driven to extend or retract synchronously, thereby causing the slide bar 3 to extend or retract synchronously to achieve x-axis scanning; when the slide bar 3 extends, a +x-axis scan is achieved, and when the slide bar 3 retracts, a -x-axis scan is achieved. Figure 10 The diagram shows the voltage waveforms applied to the upper piezoelectric block 201a and the lower piezoelectric block 201b. It should be noted that this voltage waveform diagram represents only one possible approach for this embodiment and is not limited to this specific voltage waveform.

[0064] (2) When a y-axis scan is required, the piezoelectric block 201c on the left and the piezoelectric block 201d on the right are driven to extend and retract, or retract or extend respectively. When the piezoelectric block 201c on the left and the piezoelectric block 201d on the right extend and retract respectively, the free end bends toward the piezoelectric block 201d on the right and drives the slider 3 to follow, thus realizing a +y-axis scan; when the piezoelectric block 201c on the left and the piezoelectric block 201d on the right retract and extend respectively, the free end bends toward the piezoelectric block 201c on the left and drives the slider 3 to follow, thus realizing a -y-axis scan.

[0065] Furthermore, the aforementioned stepping and scanning operations are performed when grooves 5 are formed on both the upper piezoelectric block 201a and the lower piezoelectric block 201b, as shown below. Figure 8 As shown, if the groove 5 is located at the junction of two adjacent piezoelectric blocks 201, the original requirement to control the extension or contraction of a single piezoelectric block 201 becomes the requirement to synchronously control two sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 connected by the groove 5. The only change is the number of piezoelectric blocks 201 being driven; the specific control method is the same as described above, and will not be repeated here to avoid unnecessary detail. This synchronous control of the two sets of piezoelectric blocks 201 can be achieved by increasing the driving force for contraction or extension, making the entire response faster and more sensitive.

[0066] Example 3:

[0067] like Figure 5 As shown, a scanning probe microscope includes the stepper scanner in the above embodiment 2, and also includes a sample holder 7 disposed on the base 1 and a first probe 8 disposed on the top of the slide bar 3, and the first probe 8 is located directly below the sample holder 7.

[0068] Example 4:

[0069] like Figure 6As shown, a scanning probe microscope, based on the above embodiment one or embodiment two, further includes a first piezoelectric tube 9 disposed on the base 1 and a first sample holder 10 disposed on the top of the slide rod 3. A second probe 11 is disposed at the bottom end of the first piezoelectric tube 9, and the second probe 11 is located directly above the first sample holder 10.

[0070] In this embodiment, only the vertical upward stepping action of the piezoelectric tube 2 on the slide bar 3 is utilized, while the xy-axis scanning is accomplished by the first piezoelectric tube 9. The scanning operation of the first piezoelectric tube 9 is the same as in the prior art, and will not be described again here to avoid unnecessary detail. It should be noted that since this embodiment only utilizes the vertical stepping action of the piezoelectric tube 2 on the slide bar 3, the configuration of the piezoelectric tube 2 can be either simply setting two sets of piezoelectric blocks 201, or it can be configured as follows: Figure 4 The layout shown includes four groups of piezoelectric blocks 201 arranged vertically, horizontally, and vertically; however, this paper is not limited to this arrangement.

[0071] Example 5:

[0072] like Figure 7 As shown, a scanning probe microscope, based on the above embodiment one or embodiment two, further includes a second sample holder 12 disposed on the base 1 and a second piezoelectric tube 13 disposed on the top of the slide rod 3. A third probe 14 is disposed on the top of the second piezoelectric tube 13 and is located directly below the second sample holder 12.

[0073] In this embodiment, only the vertical upward stepping action of the piezoelectric tube 2 on the slide bar 3 is utilized, while the xy-axis scanning is accomplished by the second piezoelectric tube 13. The scanning operation of the second piezoelectric tube 13 is the same as in the prior art, and will not be described in detail here to avoid unnecessary complexity. It should be noted that since this embodiment only utilizes the vertical stepping action of the piezoelectric tube 2 on the slide bar 3, the configuration of the piezoelectric tube 2 can be either simply setting two sets of piezoelectric blocks 201, or it can be configured as follows: Figure 4 The layout shown includes four groups of piezoelectric blocks 201 arranged vertically, horizontally, and vertically; however, this paper is not limited to this arrangement.

[0074] In summary, the stepping and scanning functions in Embodiments 4 and 5 are respectively undertaken by different piezoelectric tubes, which can improve the stability of the entire system, reduce the impact of external environmental vibrations, and effectively avoid problems such as image drift and collision pins that exist in similar products.

[0075] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of one embodiment of the present invention, but this description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. All equivalent variations and modifications made within the scope of the claims of this invention should still fall within the patent coverage of this invention.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper, characterized in that, include: Base (1); A piezoelectric tube (2) has one end fixed to the base (1) and the other end forming a free end; The slide bar (3) has its side in contact with the free end of the piezoelectric tube (2); The elastic element (4) is used to apply a pulling force toward the piezoelectric tube (2) to the side of the slide rod (3) so that the slide rod (3) is pressed against the free end; The piezoelectric tube (2) is divided into at least two independent piezoelectric blocks (201) along its axial direction, and the slide rod (3) is pressed on the ends of the two piezoelectric blocks (201); the two piezoelectric blocks (201) can simultaneously undergo opposite deformation of one extension and one contraction under differential driving voltages with opposite polarities. By driving the piezoelectric block (201a) located above and the piezoelectric block (201b) located below to extend or retract synchronously, the slide bar (3) is driven to extend or retract synchronously, thereby achieving scanning in the x-direction.

2. The piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper piezoelectric block (201) retracts, and the lower piezoelectric block (201) extends, so that the slide bar (3) completes the stepping action.

3. The piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Both sets of piezoelectric blocks (201) have grooves (5) at their ends for accommodating the slide rod (3), and the two sets of grooves (5) are arranged along the vertical direction.

4. The piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, A counterweight (6) is provided at the bottom end of the slide bar (3).

5. The piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The elastic element (4) is a spring, and the spring is coaxially located in the inner cavity of the piezoelectric tube (2).

6. The piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, At least one of the base (1) and the slide bar (3) is made of a rigid material with high hardness and low coefficient of thermal expansion.

7. A stepper scanner using the piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The piezoelectric tube (2) also includes two independent piezoelectric blocks (201) divided along its axial direction, with the upper and lower piezoelectric blocks (201) and the left and right piezoelectric blocks (201) arranged in an interpenetrating manner.

8. A scanning probe microscope using a stepper scanner as described in claim 7, characterized in that, It includes a sample holder (7) on a base (1) and a first probe (8) mounted on the top of a slide bar (3), with the first probe (8) positioned relative to the sample holder (7).

9. A scanning probe microscope using a piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, It includes a first piezoelectric tube (9) on the base (1) and a first sample holder (10) installed at the top of the slide bar (3). A second probe (11) is provided at the bottom of the first piezoelectric tube (9), and the second probe (11) is positioned relative to the first sample holder (10).

10. A scanning probe microscope employing the piezoelectric bending deformation inertial stepper according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, It includes a second sample holder (12) on the base (1) and a second piezoelectric tube (13) installed at the top of the slide rod (3). A third probe (14) is provided at the top of the second piezoelectric tube (13), and the third probe (14) is positioned relative to the second sample holder (12).

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