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:
Mar. 25, 1997
Filed:
May. 24, 1995
Junju Itoh, Ibaraki-ken, JP;
Yasushi Toma, Ibaraki-ken, JP;
Ebara Research Co., Ltd., Fujisawa, JP;
Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The improved cantilever for use with an atomic force microscope comprises a single-crystal silicon base 11 having adequate mechanical strength, a cantilever beam 12 that is made from a silicon oxide film and which is joined at one end to the base, and a conical stylus 13 with a sharp tip that is formed of single-crystal silicon on the cantilever beam 12 at the 6 other end which is opposite the end joined to the base 11, and all surfaces of the cantilever are covered with a thin electroconductive film 14. If desired, protective plates 15 for protecting the cantilever beam against mechanical damage may be provided that are processed from the base material in such a way that they hold the beam therebetween and which have satisfactory strength. The stylus has an abrupt profile with a sharp tip and a high aspect ratio, and the cantilever beam has an invariable spring constant and supports the stylus at an end. The cantilever can be produced by a process comprising steps (a)-(k).