Method for microfabricating a probe with integrated handle, cantilever, tip and circuit
AssigneeAsylum Research Corporation
InventorsRoger Proksch, Hector Cavazos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A simple method for integrating a circuit onto a probe with a handle, a cantilever and a tip is provided. By fabricating a probe whose surface has recessed patterns of the desirable profile, a circuit can be formed on one part of the handle out over the cantilever and back onto a different part of the handle without employing a circuit lithography step. The circuit material constituting the circuit is deposited orthogonally to the probe surface with a line-of-sight technique.
Claims26
A probe for a probe-based instrument, comprising:
- a) a cantilever,
- b) a first handle mount,
- c) a second handle mount that is separated from the first handle mount by a space,
- d) a handle having a first side attached to a second side of the first and the second handle mounts, and
- e) an electrical circuit loop formed by a circuit layer that is deposited on a first side of the first handle mount, a first side of the cantilever, a first side of the second handle mount and on a portion of the handle exposed in the space between the first and the second handle mounts such that a portion of the circuit layer located on the handle does not contact a portion of the circuit layer located on the first and the second handle mounts and is not part of the electrical current loop.
A method of making a probe for a probe-based instrument, comprising:
- (A) providing a probe structure, comprising:
- a) a cantilever,
- b) a first handle mount,
- c) a second handle mount that is separated from the first handle mount by a space, and
- d) a handle having a first side attached to a second side of the first and the second handle mounts, and
- (B) depositing a circuit layer on a first side of the first handle mount, a first side of the cantilever, a first side of the second handle mount and on a portion of the handle exposed in the space between the first and the second handle mounts to form an electrical circuit loop, wherein a portion of the circuit layer located on the handle does not contact a portion of the circuit layer located on the first and second handle mounts and is not part of the electrical current loop.
A method of using a probe-based instrument, comprising:
- providing a probe, comprising:
- a) a cantilever,
- b) a first handle mount,
- c) a second handle mount that is separated from the first handle mount by a space,
- d) a handle having a first side attached to a second side of the first and the second handle mounts, and
- e) an electrical circuit loop formed by a circuit layer that is deposited on a first side of the first handle mount, a first side of the cantilever, a first side of the second handle mount and on a portion of the handle exposed in the space between the first and the second handle mounts such that a portion of the circuit layer located on the handle does not contact a portion of the circuit layer located on the first and the second handle mounts and is not part of the electrical current loop, and
- actuating the cantilever by providing electrical current through the electrical circuit loop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.