Vibrating probe for a scanning probe microscope

US6075585A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University · US

Inventors

• Stephen C. Minne · Danville, US
• Calvin F. Quate · Stanford, US
• Scott Manalis · Cambridge, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 21, 1997
• Grant date: Jun 13, 2000
• Expiry date: Feb 21, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S977/873
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A probe for a scanning probe microscope includes a cantilever having a length defined between a free end and a base end. The base end is connected to a support. The free end includes a sharp tip, and is free to oscillate at a selected frequency. The probe also includes a knife-edge structure that is positioned adjacent to the cantilever and perpendicular to the length of the cantilever. The knife edge inhibits the cantilever from vibrating at a first-order resonant frequency of the cantilever, and instead encourages the cantilever to vibrate at third or higher order resonant frequencies.