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US 7,786,402 B2Granted
Nanospot welder and method
AssigneeApplied Nanotech Holdings, Inc.
InventorsRichard Fink, Zvi Yaniv, Igor Pavlovsky, Leif Thuesen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for assembly of small structures is disclosed. The present invention discloses electron beams created from one or more nanotips in an array operated in a field emission mode that can be controlled to apply heat to very well defined spots. The multiple electron beams may be generated and deflected and applied to electron beam heating and welding applications.
Claims13
A method for creating a nanospot weld on a work piece comprising:
- positioning a tip of a modified atomic force microscope (AFM) at a controlled distance from the work piece, wherein a cantilever beam of the AFM has the tip configured as an electron beam source;
- activating the electron beam source to provide electrons directed towards the work piece by applying a controlled voltage potential to the electron beam source;
- and
- modulating the voltage potential of the electron beam source or the controlled distance of the tip from the work piece to cause controlled local heating of the work piece thereby creating the nanospot weld on the work piece.
1 more element
A method for creating a nanospot weld on a work piece comprising:
- positioning a gated cathode CNT electron beam source proximate to the work piece;
- positioning a hopping electron cathode (HEC) between the electron beam source and at a controlled distance from the work piece;
- selectively activating the electron beam source to provide electrons directed towards the work piece by applying controlled voltage potentials to the gated cathode of the electron beam source, a grid electrode of the electron beam source, and to an electrode on a surface of the HEC nearest to the work piece;
- and
- modulating the controlled voltage potentials to cause controlled local heating of the work piece thereby creating the nanospot weld.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.