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.

Date of Patent:
May. 24, 2016

Filed:

Jul. 11, 2015
Applicant:

Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Limited, Oxon, GB;

Inventors:

Rocky Kruger, Point, TX (US);

Gonzalo Amador, Dallas, TX (US);

Cheryl Hartfield, Plano, TX (US);

Assignee:

Omniprobe, Inc., Dallas, TX (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01N 1/28 (2006.01); H01J 37/31 (2006.01); H01J 37/20 (2006.01); H01J 37/26 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01J 37/31 (2013.01); G01N 1/28 (2013.01); H01J 37/20 (2013.01); H01J 37/261 (2013.01); H01J 2237/2007 (2013.01); H01J 2237/2802 (2013.01); H01J 2237/31749 (2013.01);
Abstract

A substrate located in an energetic-beam instrument has a region of interest to be extracted as a sample for further analysis. Cuts are made in the substrate to define a sample, and a stress-buffer layer is formed over the region of interest or adjacent to it. An isolating cut is made to separate the portion of the substrate containing the region of interest from the bulk substrate; however, the isolated area remains attached to the stress-buffer layer. An end-effector, such as the probe of a nano-manipulator, is attached to the stress-buffer layer, and the stress-buffer layer is cut to free the sample. The sample may then be attached to a holder by attachment of the stress-buffer layer thereto. Thus the sample is never at the same time connected directly and rigidly to two different objects that may move relatively to one another, creating undesirable stresses in the sample.


Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…