Method for microfabricating a probe with integrated handle, cantilever, tip and circuit
AssigneeAsylum Research Corporation
InventorsRoger Proksch, Hector Cavazos
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Abstract
A simple method for integrating a circuit onto a probe with a handle, a cantilever and a tip is provided. By fabricating a probe whose surface has recessed patterns of the desirable profile, a circuit can be formed on one part of the handle out over the cantilever and back onto a different part of the handle without employing a circuit lithography step. The circuit material constituting the circuit is deposited orthogonally to the probe surface with a line-of-sight technique.
Claims1
A method making a probe, including handle mounts in two separate pieces, a cantilever and a tip, for an atomic force microscope, with one of the handle mounts connecting to one leg of the cantilever and the other handle mount to the other leg, and a line-of-sight deposition of a circuit material, such as gold, whose thickness is less than the thickness of the cantilever, applied to the tip-side of the cantilever and covering the handle mounts, cantilever and tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.