Microprobe and microprobe manufacturing method
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsYongfang Li, Yasushi Tomizawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to an embodiment, a microprobe includes a base and a lever. The base includes a first electrode provided on a surface thereof. The lever is supported by the base and includes a second electrode and a third electrode. The second electrode is connected between the first electrode and the third electrode. The third electrode is formed to project from the second electrode in a first direction in a main surface of the lever. A width of the third electrode in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the main surface defines a width of an electrical contact area when a scanning operation is performed by use of the third electrode in a third direction perpendicular to the main surface.
Claims15
A microprobe comprising:
- a base including a first electrode provided on a surface thereof;
- and
- a lever supported by the base and including a second electrode and a third electrode;
- wherein the second electrode is connected between the first electrode and the third electrode, the third electrode is formed at a tip portion of the lever to project from the second electrode in a first direction in a main surface of the lever, a width of the third electrode in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the main surface corresponds to a width of an electrical contact area when a scanning operation is performed by use of the third electrode in a third direction perpendicular to the main surface, and the width of the third electrode in the second direction is narrower than a width of the tip portion in the second direction.
The microprobe according to claim, 1, wherein the lever comprises a lever lower layer and a lever upper layer, a plurality of second electrodes being formed on a surface of the lever lower layer, a plurality of third electrodes being formed on a surface of lever upper layer.
A microprobe manufacturing method comprising:
- forming a first electrode on a surface of a base;
- forming a lever supported by the base;
- forming a parent body of a second electrode and a third electrode on the lever;
- forming a mask on a portion of the parent body corresponding to the third electrode;
- forming the second electrode by etching based on a difference between a material of the second electrode and a material of the mask;
- and
- removing the mask to form the third electrode,
- wherein the third electrode is formed at a tip portion of the lever to project from the second electrode in a first direction in a main surface of the lever a width of the third electrode in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the main surface defines a width of an electrical contact area when a scanning operation is performed by use of the third electrode in a third direction perpendicular to the main surface, and the width of the third electrode in the second direction is narrower than a width of the tip portion in the second direction.
A microprobe comprising:
- a base including a first electrode provided on a surface thereof;
- and
- a lever supported by the base and including a second electrode and a third electrode;
- wherein the second electrode is connected between the first electrode and the third electrode, the third electrode is formed to project from the second electrode in a first direction in a main surface of the lever, and a width of the third electrode in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction in the main surface corresponds to a width of an electrical contact area when a scanning operation is performed by use of the third electrode in a third direction perpendicular to the main surface,
- wherein the lever comprises a lever lower layer and a lever upper layer, the second electrode being formed on a first main surface and a second main surface of the lever lower layer, the second main surface being perpendicular to the first main surface, the third electrode being formed on a first main surface of the lever upper layer, and
- wherein the second main surface of the lever lower layer is perpendicular to the first main surface of the lever upper layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.