Patent · US Expired

Method for manufacturing a cantilever with sharpened metal needle

US5258107A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
4References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 20, 1992
Grant dateNov 2, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 20, 2012

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01Q60/40
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a method of making a cantilever for atomic force micoscopes, to provide a method of manufacturing a high-resolution cantilever having a sharpened metal needle by introducing an electrolytic polishing process. In the method of making a cantilever, an erect metal structure, an electrode layer and an electric insulation layer are formed, and they are subjected to the electrolytic polishing process to allow a large number of erect metal structures formed on a silicon wafer to be formed into sharpened metal needles at a time. The cantilever having a sharpened metal needle manufactured by the method of this invention makes it possible to measure with high resolution specimen surface with deep grooves and holes and high projections that cannot be measured by the conventional cantilever having a pyramidal needle.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.