Atomic Force Microscopy Probe with Tilted Tip and Method of Fabrication Thereof
AssigneeBruker Nano, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Wong, Alvaro Rodriguez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of batch-fabricating an array of probe devices for a surface analysis instrument, such as an atomic force microscope (AFM), includes providing a wafer, and photolithographically forming a base and a cantilever for each probe. The cantilever includes a built-in angle, θ, relative to the base, and the base is substantially parallel to a sample holder when the probe device is mounted in a probe holder of the surface analysis instrument.
Claims20
A method of batch-fabricating an array of probe devices for a surface analysis instrument, the method including:
- providing a probe, the probe including
- a cantilever defining a longitudinal cantilever axis, and
- a probe tip;
- removing a portion of the probe;
- and
- increasing or decreasing the size of the removed portion of the probe to generate a tilted probe tip having an engagement surface that deviates from being parallel with the longitudinal cantilever axis.
A probe device for a surface analysis instrument including a probe holder, the probe device comprising:
- a cantilever defining a longitudinal cantilever axis;
- and
- a tilted probe tip having an engagement surface, an angle of the engagement surface deviating from being parallel with the longitudinal cantilever axis;
- and
- wherein the probe device includes an expanded filler in a removed portion of the probe device and the size of the removed portion is modified by the expanded filler to provide the angle.
An AFM probe device microfabricated by a process comprising the steps of:
- providing a wafer;
- creating a plurality of probes formed from the wafer, the probes including a cantilever and a probe tip;
- removing a portion of one or more of the plurality of probes;
- and
- increasing or decreasing the size of the removed portion of the one or more probes to generate a tilted probe tip having an engagement surface that deviates from being parallel with a longitudinal cantilever axis of the cantilever for the probe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.