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US 7,621,964 B2Granted
Near-field scanning optical microscope probe having a light emitting diode
AssigneeBoard of Regents, The University of Texas System
InventorsKazunori Hoshino, Xiaojing Zhang
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Abstract
An improved near-field scanning optical microscope probe is disclosed. The near-field scanning optical microscope probe includes a probe body and two electrodes extending from the probe body to form a probe tip. In addition, a light-emitting diode is disposed between the two electrodes at the probe tip to act as a light source for the near-field scanning optical microscope probe.
Claims10
A near-field scanning optical microscope probe comprising:
- a probe body;
- two electrodes located proximate to a tip of said probe body to form a probe tip;
- and
- a light-emitting diode disposed between said two electrodes at said probe tip.
1 more element
A method for manufacturing a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) probe, said method comprising:
- depositing an oxide layer on top of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, where the SOI substrate comprises a to silicon layer above the insulator and a bottom silicon layer below the insulator;
- etching said oxide layer to form a plurality of nodes;
- wet etching a top silicon layer of said substrate to form a tapered structure underneath said plurality of nodes;
- depositing oxide layers on top and bottom sides of said substrate;
- etching said oxide layers on top and bottom sides of said substrate to form openings on said bottom side of said substrate for further etching;
- wet etching said bottom silicon layer of said substrate to form a plurality of tapered structures;
- removing said oxide layers and selected portions of said insulator layer of said substrate to release a NSOM probe;
- and forming a light emitting diode by electrostatically trapping semiconductor nanoparticles between the top silicon layer and the bottom silicon layer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.