Cantilever deflection sensor and use thereof
US5804709A · kind A · utility
64Cited by
11References
20Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 3, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 3, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/954
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A new method and an apparatus for measuring the deflection of or the force exerted upon a cantilever-type micromechanical element is presented which is based on detecting radiation emitted from the gap between the cantilever (220) and a second surface (230, 231). The radiation, while occurring spontaneously at high frequencies when appropriately biasing the cantilever and the second surface by a voltage, can be enlarged by using external energy sources. The new method and apparatus is also applied to surface investigation, particularly to dopant profiling.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.