The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 07, 1992
Filed:
May. 02, 1991
Wyko Corporation, Tucson, AZ (US);
Abstract
A scanning probe microscope includes a base, an inner piezoelectric tube, and an outer piezoelectric tube, with a first end of the outer piezoelectric tube connected to the base. A first end of the inner piezoelectric tube is rigidly connected to a second end of the outer piezoelectric tube. Thin inner conductors are disposed on the inner surfaces of the inner piezoelectric tube and the other piezoelectric tube, and quadrant conductors are disposed on the outer surfaces of the inner piezoelectric tube and the outer piezoelectric tube. Variable voltages are applied to the quadrant conductors of the outer piezoelectric tube and the inner piezoelectric tube and varied to cause lateral and axial movement of the second end of the outer piezoelectric tube and also to cause lateral and perpendicular movement of the second end of the inner piezoelectric tube relative to its first end. A probe having a tip is connected to the second end of the inner piezoelectric tube and scans the surface of a sample in response to the applied quadrant conductor voltages. A control system senses current or other parameter sensed by the tip of the probe and indicative of distance of the probe tip from the scanned surface to control application of the quadrant voltages.