close to the edge of the substrate. If the stylus traces off the edge of the sample substrate
onto the stage the instrument could be damaged.
9. Once you have selected a desireable position on your sample, you must select a scan routine.
Select "File" from the menu then "Open". The user-availible scan routine programs can be
accessed by clicking on the "Desktop" icon on the left then double clicking on the "User
Programs" folder. Select a program from the menu appropriate for your sample and click Load.
You may use a program that you have previously created or one of the pre-defined programs
named "RS_262000_step.mp", "RS_65500_step.mp" or "RS_6550_step.mp". The numbers in
these RS_###_step programs refer to the measuring range (in nm) setting for each. Note: To
create your own program, please see the "Creating Programs Guide" later in this packet.
Upon loading the selected scan routine, you will be automatically taken to the "Scan Routines
Window" to return to the sample view, left click on the "Sample Position Window" in the toolbar at
the top.
10. Now that the scan routine program has been loaded and your sample is in place, you are
ready to run the scan. To run the scan, select "Run" from the menu then "Scan". The stylus will
return to the null position, and begin the scan procedure. If for some reason it is necessary to
stop the scan while it is running, you can abort using the "Abort Current Operation" icon (Red
circle with an X through it). This will stop the stylus motion immediately.
11. When the scan is complete the screen will automatically switch to the "Data Plot Window".
The scan trace must be leveled before reliable data can be obtained. To level the trace, move the
"R"eference (red) and "M"easure" bars to two areas of the trace that should be level. Make the
bars cover as much of the area(s) as possible, without incorporating defect features. Select "Plot"
and "Level" from the menu and the leveling adjustment will be calculated by the computer.
-Data Analysis-
12. The red bar is the Reference bar, it should be placed on the area of the trace that represents
the zero value. The green bar is the Measure bar, it should be placed on the region of the trace
that shows the area to be measured. Again, these bars should be expanded to encompass as
much of the trace area as possible, without including defects. Note: The reason why the bars
should cover as much area as possible is because the calculations to come next are based on
the average height value over the areas highlighted. Thus, the more area covered, the more
numbers calculated into the average--leading to a more accurate representation of the sample.
13. At this point there are a range of analytical functions which can be determined, varying
dependent on the sample. To access the analytical functions, go to the menu and select
"Analysis" and "Analytical Functions". The details of each analytical function are discussed in the
manual begining on page 110. For a step height measurement, select the "ASH" check box and
press "Compute". The average step height value will be displayed under the "Watch List" (bottom
left of the Dataplot screen) under ASH.
14. To save the data, go to "File" then "Save As". You may name the file any way that you want,
but it must be saved into "Desktop" (button on left), then "Shortcut to User Data", then "Your
Folder". If you do not already have a folder in the User Data folder, you may make a new folder.
Saving the file as a "*.dat" or "*.###" will save the raw data, which can then be read again at a
later date by the Dektak software. Saving the file as a "*.csv" file allows it to be exported from the
computer and can be imported into a spreadsheet program such as Excel.
***You may reposition the stylus over the sample and repeat steps 7 through 14 as often as you
wish. If you want to keep using the same scan program as originally selected, you can skip step
9.
-Unloading Sample and Shutting Down-
