Cassette for holding a probe
AssigneeNearfield Instruments B.V.
InventorsHamed Sadeghian Marnani, Wouter Arie De Zeeuw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the present disclosure pertain to a probe cassette for holding a probe, e.g. an atomic force microscopy, at a predefined holding position for automated pickup. The probe cassette comprises a main body 3 including a support face 1 for supporting the probe; and one or more physical confinement elements 50 formed or affixed along said support face, said one or more physical confinement elements providing a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket 9 for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face.
Claims14
A probe cassette for holding a probe for a probe-based system at a predefined holding position for automated pickup, the probe cassette comprising
- a main body, the main body including a support face for supporting the probe;
- and
- one or more physical confinement elements formed or affixed along said support face,
- said one or more physical confinement elements providing a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face,
- wherein the one or more physical confinement elements includes a sheet arranged to be affixed to the support face and that is provided with an aperture dimensioned so as to provide the plurality of engagement faces.
A method of manufacturing a probe cassette for holding a probe at a predefined holding position for automated pickup by probe-based system, the method comprising:
- providing a main body including a support face for supporting the probe;
- and
- affixing one or more physical confinement elements along said support face so as to provide a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face,
- wherein the one or more physical confinement elements is manufactured independently from the main body, the one or more physical confinement elements including a sheet which is affixed to the support face and that is provided with an aperture dimensioned so as to provide the plurality of engagement faces.
A kit for forming a probe cassette for holding a probe at a predefined holding position for automated pickup by probe-based system, the kit comprising:
- a main body including a support face for supporting the probe;
- and
- one or more physical confinement elements,
- the main body and the one or more physical confinement elements mutually arranged to allow affixing the one or more physical confinement elements along the support face,
- said one or more physical confinement elements providing a plurality of engagement faces disposed along a perimeter of the predefined holding position, said engagement faces extending in a direction out of the support face, so as to define a pocket for holding the probe, wherein the pocket is dimensioned to restrict a lateral shift of the probe in any direction along the support face,
- wherein the one or more physical confinement elements include a sheet which is affixed to the support face and that is provided with an aperture dimensioned so as to provide the plurality of engagement faces.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.