Cornell University

Ut-Battelle, Inc.

International Business Machines Corporation

USA as Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Bojan Robert Ilic

Harold G Craighead

Michael Leon Simpson

Douglas H Lowndes

Vladimir I Merkulov

Anatoli Vasilievich Melechko

Michael A Guillorn

Timothy Eric McKnight

Mitchel John Doktycz

Maxim K Zalalutdinov

Jeevak M Parpia

David Alan Czaplewski

Sandip Tiwari

Brian H Houston

Mark C Reuter

Brian A Bryce

Jeffrey W Baldwin

Robert H Hall

Joshua D Cross

Abraham D Stroock

Anatoli Olkhovets

Vinay Pagay

Alan T Zehnder

Lidija Sekaric

Alan N Lakso

Meredith Metzler

A probe for scanned probe microscopy is provided. The probe includes a cantilever beam and a tip. The cantilever beam extends along a generally horizontal axis. The cantilever beam has a crystal facet surface that is oriented at a tilt angle with respect to the generally horizontal axis. The tip projects outwardly from the crystal facet surface.

Scanned probe microscopy (SPM) probe having angled tip

The present invention is directed to a CMOS integrated micromechanical device fabricated in accordance with a standard CMOS foundry fabrication process. The standard CMOS foundry fabrication process is characterized by a predetermined layer map and a predetermined set of fabrication rules. The device includes a semiconductor substrate formed or provided in accordance with the predetermined layer map and the predetermined set of fabrication rules. A MEMS resonator device is fabricated in accordance with the predetermined layer map and the predetermined set of fabrication rules. The MEMS resonator device includes a micromechanical resonator structure having a surface area greater than or equal to approximately 20 square microns. At least one CMOS circuit is coupled to the MEMS resonator member. The at least one CMOS circuit is also fabricated in accordance with the predetermined layer map and the predetermined set of fabrication rules.

CMOS integrated micromechanical resonators and methods for fabricating the same

A microtensiometer sensor includes a substrate layer fluidly coupled to an enclosed reservoir. A porous membrane is disposed on a surface of the substrate layer. The membrane defines a liquid side fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a vapor side fluidly coupled to a vapor interface. The porous membrane includes a plurality of through holes fluidly coupling the liquid reservoir to the vapor interface, and a nanoporous filler material disposed within the plurality of through holes. The filler material includes a plurality of open pores having a maximum diameter in the range of 0.2 to 200 nanometers. In one embodiment, the microtensiometer sensor includes a molecular membrane disposed adjacent to the vapor side of the porous membrane. In one example, the molecular membrane is formed of a highly crystalline polytetrafluoroethylene polymer having a microstructure characterized by nodes interconnected by fibrils. In one application, the microtensiometer sensor may be used in a probe to measure the average water potential within a network of plant or tree xylem. In another application, the microtensiometer sensor may be useful in real-time determination of the water potential in soil.

Microtensiometer sensor, probe and method of use

A method of creating a probe for scanned probe microscopy is disclosed. The method includes providing a wafer having a support wafer layer and a device layer. The method includes masking the wafer with a masking layer. The method includes removing a portion of the masking layer at the device layer. The method includes etching the wafer along the portion of the masking layer that has been removed to create a crystal facet surface that is oriented at a tilt angle. The method includes epitaxially growing a tip along the crystal facet surface.

A method for manufacturing or preparing thin-film stacks that exhibit moderate, finite, stress-dependent resistance and which can be incorporated into a transduction mechanism that enables simple, effective signal to be read out from a micro- or nano-mechanical structure. As the structure is driven, the resistance of the intermediate layers is modulated in tandem with the motion, and with suitable dc-bias, the motion is directly converted into detectable voltage. In general, detecting signal from MEMS or NEMS devices is difficult, especially using a method that is able to be integrated with standard electronics. The thin-film manufacturing or preparation technique described herein is therefore a technical advance in the field of MEMS/NEMS that could enable new applications as well as the ability to easily develop CMOS-MEMS integrated fabrication techniques. Also disclosed are: (i) transducers where current flows across a piezo layer from one major surface to the opposite major surface; and (ii) methods of making a transducer the resistivity of a piezoresistive layer is decreased and/or the gauge factor of a piezoresistive layer is increased.

Method for making a transducer, transducer made therefrom, and applications thereof

Methods, manufactures, machines and compositions are described for nanotransfer and nanoreplication using deterministically grown sacrificial nanotemplates. An apparatus, includes a substrate and a nanoconduit material coupled to a surface of the substrate. The substrate defines an aperture and the nanoconduit material defines a nanoconduit that is i) contiguous with the aperture and ii) aligned substantially non-parallel to a plane defined by the surface of the substrate.

Nano transfer and nanoreplication using deterministically grown sacrificial nanotemplates

Methods, manufactures, machines and compositions are described for nanotransfer and nanoreplication using deterministically grown sacrificial nanotemplates. An apparatus, includes a substrate and a nanoreplicant structure coupled to a surface of the substrate.

Nanotransfer and nanoreplication using deterministically grown sacrificial nanotemplates

Methods, manufactures, machines and compositions are described for nanotransfer and nanoreplication using deterministically grown sacrificial nanotemplates. A method includes depositing a catalyst particle on a surface of a substrate to define a deterministically located position; growing an aligned elongated nanostructure on the substrate, an end of the aligned elongated nanostructure coupled to the substrate at the deterministically located position; coating the aligned elongated nanostructure with a conduit material; removing a portion of the conduit material to expose the catalyst particle; removing the catalyst particle; and removing the elongated nanostructure to define a nanoconduit.

A system and method for detecting mass based on a frequency differential of a resonating micromachined structure, such as a cantilever beam. A high aspect ratio cantilever beam is coated with an immobilized binding partner that couples to a predetermined cell or molecule. A first resonant frequency is determined for the cantilever having the immobilized binding partner. Upon exposure of the cantilever to a solution that binds with the binding partner, the mass of the cantilever beam increases. A second resonant frequency is determined and the differential resonant frequency provides the basis for detecting the target cell or molecule. The cantilever may be driven externally or by ambient noise. The frequency response of the beam can be determined optically using reflected light and two photodetectors or by interference using a single photodetector.

High sensitivity mechanical resonant sensor

A micro-electrical mechanical oscillator has a resonant frequency of oscillation that is varied by application of heat. The resonant frequency is varied at a frequency different from the resonant frequency of the oscillator to amplify oscillations. In one embodiment, the oscillator is disc of material supported by a pillar of much smaller diameter than the disc. The periphery of the disc is heated by a laser to provide a time varying shift of the resonant frequency (or equivalently the stiffness) of the disc. Feedback from movement of the disc is used to modulate the intensity of the laser, and thus the stiffness of the disc to provide parametric amplification of sensed vibrations, using heating as a pump. Various other shapes of micro-electrical mechanical oscillators are used in other embodiment, including an array of such oscillators on a substrate, each having different resonant frequencies.

Heat pumped parametric MEMS device

Methods, manufactures, machines and compositions are described for nanotransfer and nanoreplication using deterministically grown sacrificial nanotemplates. An apparatus includes a substrate and a nanoconduit material coupled to a surface of the substrate, where the substrate defines an aperture and the nanoconduit material defines a nanoconduit that is i) contiguous with the aperture and ii) aligned substantially non-parallel to a plane defined by the surface of the substrate. An apparatus includes a substrate and a nanoreplicant structure coupled to a surface of the substrate.

Nanoconduits and nanoreplicants

Methods and apparatus are described for cantilever structures that include a vertically aligned nanostructure, especially vertically aligned carbon nanofiber scanning probe microscope tips. An apparatus includes a cantilever structure including a substrate including a cantilever body, that optionally includes a doped layer, and a vertically aligned nanostructure coupled to the cantilever body.

Vertically aligned nanostructure scanning probe microscope tips

A method of patterning a preselected material on a substrate is provided, comprising coating a substrate surface with a releasable polymer coating, creating one or more openings through the polymer coating to expose a portion of the substrate surface in a predefined pattern, coating at least a portion of the substrate surface that is exposed through the polymer coating with at least one preselected material, and optionally, removing said polymer coating so that the material is retained on said substrate surface in said predefined pattern.

Growing community of inventors

Ithaca, NY, United States of America

Bojan Robert Ilic