# US 5,703,979 A · Cylindrical fiber probe devices

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- Number: US 5,703,979 A
- Document ID: US5703979A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/548,924
- Filed: 1995-10-26
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1993-07-15
- Assignees: Lucent Technologies Inc.
- Inventors: Robert William Filas; Herschel Maclyn Marchman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703979A

## CPC

- H01J 9/025: {of field emission cathodes}
- C03C 25/68: by etching
- G01Q 60/22: Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
- G02B 6/241: {Light guide terminations}
- G02B 6/245: Removing protective coverings of light guides before coupling
- G02B 6/3624: {Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination (optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262)}
- Y10S 977/849: with scanning probe
- Y10S 977/878: Shape/taper
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- C03C: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
- G01Q: SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES OR APPARATUS; APPLICATIONS OF SCANNING-PROBE TECHNIQUES, e.g. SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY [SPM]
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

This invention involves a fiber probe device and a method of making it. The probe includes a relatively thick upper cylindrical region, typically in the form of a solid right circular cylinder, terminating in a tapered region that terminates in a relatively thin lower cylindrical region (tip), typically also in the form of a solid right circular cylinder, the lower region having a width (diameter) in the approximate range 0.01 .mu.m to 150 .mu.m.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A probe device comprising:
a fiber segment having a relatively thick upper cylindrical region terminating in a tapered region that terminates in a relatively thin right cylindrical lower region; the lower cylindrical portion having a maximum width in the approximate range of 0.01 .mu.m to 150 .mu.m and terminating at its bottom extremity in an essentially planar end surface oriented perpendicular to the axis of the thin right cylindrical region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The probe device of claim 1 in which the thin cylindrical region has a height in the approximate range of 0.05 .mu.m to 30 .mu.m.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The probe device of claim 1 in which the thin cylindrical region has a height in the approximate range of 1 .mu.m to 10 .mu.m.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The probe device of claim 1 in which the maximum width of the thin cylindrical region is in the approximate range of 0.05 .mu.m to 0.2 .mu.m.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The probe device of claim 1 in which the maximum width of the thin cylindrical region is in the approximate range of 0.05 .mu.m to 0.5 .mu.m.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The probe device recited in claim 1 further including a metallic layer located on the sidewall of the lower cylindrical region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

A metrological method including moving the probe device recited in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 across a surface of a sample body.

### Claim 8

A probe device comprising:
a fiber segment having a relatively thick upper cylindrical region terminating in a tapered region that terminates in a relatively thin right cylindrical lower region; the thin right cylindrical lower region having a maximum width in the approximate range of 0.01 .mu.m to 150 .mu.m and terminating at its bottom extremity in an essentially planar end surface oriented perpendicular to the axis of the thin right cylindrical lower region,
the fiber segment having at most one other right cylindrical region, said at most one other right cylindrical region being located above the thick upper cylindrical region,
said at most one other right cylindrical region, said thin right cylindrical lower region, and said relatively thick upper cylindrical region having respective maximum widths that are mutually different from each other.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The probe device of claim 8 in which the thin cylindrical region has a height in the approximate rnge of 0.05 .mu.m to 30 .mu.m.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The probe device of claim 8 in which the thin cylindrical region has a height in the approximate rnge of 1 .mu.m to 10 .mu.m.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The probe device of claim 8 in which the maximum width of the thin cylindrical regionis in the approximate rnge of 0.05 .mu.m to 0.2 .mu.m.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The probe device of claim 9 in which the maximum width of the thin cylindrical regionis in the approximate rnge of 0.05 .mu.m to 0.2 .mu.m.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The probe device of claim 8 further including a metallic layer located on the sidewall of the lower cylindrical region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

A metrological method including moving the probe device recited in claims 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13 across a surface of a sample body.