Methods, devices and systems for scanning tunneling microscopy control system design

1. A method of controlling a scanning tunneling microscope system, the method comprising:

receiving data characterizing a tunneling current between a tip of the scanning tunneling microscope system and a sample;

estimating, in real-time, a work function associated with the scanning tunneling microscope system; and

adjusting, by a control system, a position of the tip based on the estimated work function.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises a closed loop having a gain controller and a plant.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

introducing a system identification signal into a closed loop of the control system; and

filtering an output signal to identify a system identification portion of the output signal, the system identification portion of the output signal resulting at least in part from the system identification signal.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising estimating the work function based on the system identification portion.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system identification signal has a fixed frequency.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the system identification signal is selectively introduced at a first location in the control system or at a second location in the control system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the position of the tip comprises actuating a piezoelectric actuator to move the tip along a Z-axis.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjusting the position of the tip maintains a desired tunneling current between the tip and the sample.

9. The method of claim 2 , wherein the estimated work function is related to an open-loop gain of the plant.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises an amplitude estimator that determines an open-loop DC gain of the control system, the open-loop DC gain being proportional to the work function.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the amplitude estimator includes a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising imaging a surface of a sample with the scanning tunneling microscope simultaneously with the adjusting the position of the tip.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising patterning a surface of the sample with the scanning tunneling microscope system while the adjusting the position of the tip is being performed by the control system.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting another parameter of the scanning tunneling microscope system based on the estimated work function.

15. The method of claim 1 , determining a parameter space that indicates acceptable parameter ranges.

16. A system for interacting with structures on a sample, the system comprising:

a scanning tunneling microscope having a tip;

a positioning system configured to precisely control movement of the tip of the scanning tunneling microscope relative to the sample; and

a control unit in communication with the scanning tunneling microscope and the positioning system, wherein the control unit is configured to:

receive data characterizing a tunneling current between a tip of the scanning tunneling microscope and a sample;

estimate, in real-time, a work function associated with the scanning tunneling microscope; and

adjust a position of the tip relative to the sample based on the estimated work function.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit comprises a closed feedback loop.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:

introduce a system identification signal into a closed loop of the control unit; and

filter an output signal to identify a system identification portion of the output signal, the system identification portion of the output signal resulting at least in part from the system identification signal.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the control unit is further configured to estimating the work function based on the system identification portion.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the system identification signal has a fixed frequency.

21. The system of claim 18 , wherein the system identification signal is selectively introduced at a first location in the control unit or at a second location in the control unit.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the position of the tip by actuating a piezoelectric actuator of the positioning system to move the tip along a Z-axis.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the position of the tip relative to the sample based on the estimated work function so that the position maintains a desired tunneling current between the tip and the sample.

24. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit comprises an amplitude estimator that determines an open-loop DC gain of a control unit implemented by the control unit, the open-loop DC gain being proportional to the work function.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the amplitude estimator includes a low-pass filter and a high-pass filter.

26. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to collect imaging data characterizing a surface of the sample with the scanning tunneling microscope while adjusting the position of the tip.

27. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to pattern a surface of the sample with the scanning tunneling microscope while the position is adjusted by the control unit based on the estimated work function.

28. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust another parameter of the scanning tunneling microscope based on the estimated work function.

29. The system of claim 16 , wherein the control unit determines a parameter space indicative of acceptable parameter ranges.