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:
May. 03, 2016
Filed:
Apr. 27, 2015
Joanna Ptasinski, La Jolla, CA (US);
Stephen D. Russell, San Diego, CA (US);
Joanna Ptasinski, La Jolla, CA (US);
Stephen D. Russell, San Diego, CA (US);
The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, DC (US);
Abstract
Methods for fabricating ultra-sharp nanoprobes can include the steps of providing a wafer, and patterning a silicon layer on the wafer with a plurality of geometric structures. The geometric structures can be patterned using electron-beam lithography or photolithography, and can have circular, triangular or other geometric shapes when viewed in top plan. The methods can further include the step of depositing a non-uniform cladding on the geometric structures using plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) techniques, and then wet-etching the wafer. The non-uniform nature of the cladding can result in more complete etching in the areas where the cladding has lower density and incomplete etching in the areas of higher density of the non-uniform cladding. The different etching rates in the proximity of at least adjacent two geometric structures can result in the formation of ultra-sharp nanoprobes.