Micromanipulator with piezoelectric movement elements
AssigneeForschungszentrum Julich GmbH
InventorsThomas Michely, Marcel Rost, Markus Kaiser
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Abstract
The invention relates to a micromanipulator (1, 8, 14, 35) which is used to produce a relative movement between said micromanipulator and an object (7, 13, 25, 34). The micromanipulator (1, 8, 14, 35) has piezoelectric movement elements (3, 10, 15, 16, 17, 43, 44, 45) which are provided with end pieces (6, 12, 22, 23, 24, 46, 47, 48). The inventive micromanipulator is characterized in that the end pieces (6, 12, 22, 23, 24, 46, 47, 48) are magnetic or can be magnetized.
Claims7
A micromanipulator for producing a relative movement between the micromanipulator and an object which has a surface at which the object is magnetically attractable, said micromanipulator comprising:
- a support;
- at least three piezoelectric movement elements extending from said support substantially perpendicular to said surface and having respective end pieces in continuous contact with said surface at spaced-apart locations on said surface and constituting the exclusive contacts of said manipulator with said object, said end pieces being magnetic or magnetizable to maintain the contact of said end pieces with said surface magnetically during relative movement of the micromanipulator and the object;
- and
- means for energizing said piezoelectric movement elements to effect relative movement of said micromanipulator and said object without loss of contact between said end pieces and said surface.
A scanning probe microscope comprising:
- a micromanipulator for producing a relative movement between the micromanipulator and an object which has a surface at which the object is magnetically attractable, the micromanipulator comprising:
- a support,
- at least three piezoelectric movement elements extending from said support substantially perpendicular to said surface and having respective end pieces in continuous contact with said surface at spaced-apart locations on said surface and constituting the exclusive contacts of said manipulator with said object, said end pieces being magnetic or magnetizable to maintain the contact of said end pieces with said surface magnetically during relative movement of the micromanipulator and the object, and
- means for energizing said piezoelectric movement elements to effect relative movement of said micromanipulator and said object without loss of contact between said end pieces and said surface;
- and
- a scanning microscope tip between said elements and juxtaposed with said object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.