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. 03, 2001
Filed:
Aug. 27, 1998
Joel R. Stanford, Austin, TX (US);
Jeffrey Kersten, Tucson, AZ (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A probe for determining a surface characteristic of an object includes a substrate, a plurality of cantilevers each having a distal end coupled to the substrate, and a plurality of probe tips each coupled to a proximal end of a respective one of the cantilevers for contacting a surface of the object. Such probes can be used to study properties of objects, such as layers of semiconductor devices. Electrical properties of the surface of the object, such as, for example, surface resistivity, can be determined using probes with conductive probe tips. Some probes include a substrate divided lengthwise into a first section and a second section with the first section being doped with an n-type material and the second section being doped with a p-type material. Other probes include conductive material disposed on the substrate and, optionally, on the cantilevers and/or probe tips to form individual conductive paths to the probe tips.