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. 23, 1999
Filed:
May. 07, 1997
Mitsuchika Saito, Kawasaki, JP;
You-Wen Yi, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A memory device that comprises a planar memory medium and a probe device mounted opposite the planar memory medium. The probe device includes a substrate having a substrate surface and probe cells arrayed on the substrate surface. Each of the probe cells comprises a probe, an auxiliary electrode and a probe driving circuit. The probe is formed in the substrate, includes part of the substrate surface, and additionally includes a conductive needle projecting towards the memory medium. The conductive needle includes a needle tip adjacent the memory medium. The auxiliary electrode is mounted on the probe, and is located between the probe and the memory medium. The auxiliary electrode is disposed substantially parallel to, and spaced from, the substrate surface. The driving circuit is formed in the substrate and projects from the substrate surface towards the memory medium. The probe driving circuit has outputs electrically connected to the auxiliary electrode and the memory medium.