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US 2008/0061798 A1Published application
Microcoaxial probes made from strained semiconductor bilayers
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorRobert H. Blick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides microcoaxial probes fabricated from semiconductor heterostructures that include strained semiconductor bilayers. The microcoaxial probes are well suited for use as scanning probes in scanning probe microscopy, including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning microwave microscopy, or a combination thereof.
Claims23
A microcoaxial probe for a scanning microwave microscope comprising:
- (a) a conducting tube comprising a coiled semiconductor bilayer comprising two conducting channels, the tube having a proximal end and a distal end;
- (b) a microwave generator coupled to the conducting tube and adapted to feed a microwave signal to the proximal end of the tube;
- and
- (c) a detector coupled to the conducting tube and adapted to probe a microwave signal reflected from a surface.
1 more element
A scanning tunneling microscope comprising:
- (a) a conducting tube comprising a coiled semiconductor bilayer comprising two conducting channels, the tube having a proximal end and a distal end;
- and
- (b) a voltage source coupled to the conducting tube for applying a bias voltage to the conducting tube;
- and
- (c) a current detector coupled to the conducting tube for measuring a tunneling current from the conducting tube to the surface.
2 more elements
An atomic force microscope comprising:
- (a) a conducting tube comprising a coiled semiconductor bilayer comprising two conducting channels, the tube having a proximal end and a distal end, the conducting tube mounted on a cantilever;
- (b) a laser positioned to direct a beam of light onto the cantilever;
- and
- (c) a photodetecter positioned to detect reflected light from the cantilever.
1 more element
A microcoaxial probe comprising:
- (a) a conducting tube comprising a coiled semiconductor bilayer comprising two conducting channels, the conducting tube having a proximal end, a distal end, an inner surface, and an outer surface;
- and
- (b) a metal film disposed on at least one of the inner and the outer surfaces of the conducting tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.