Method of and apparatus for forming a micromelt structure on an electrically-conductive probe tip

US5178742A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Heiko Lemke · Hungen, DE
• Thomas Goddenhenrich · Jülich, DE
• Hans-Peter Bochem · Jülich, DE
• Uwe Hartmann · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 7, 1991
• Grant date: Jan 12, 1993
• Expiry date: Mar 7, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01Q30/02
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A micromelt structure is provided on a probe tip by contacting the probe tip with a foil of the material from which the micromelt structure is to be formed and passing an electric current through the contact point to melt the foil and cause the molten foil material to collect on the tip of the probe where, by surface tension, it is drawn into a microsphere shape and homogeneously solidifies. The probe with the micromelt tip is highly reproducible and uniform and is particularly effective for use as a probe in scanning microscopy.