High resolution scanning thermal probe and method of manufacturing thereof

US6518872B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• University of Maryland · US

Inventors

• Klaus Edinger · Lorsch, DE
• Ivaylo W. Rangelow · Kassel, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 14, 2001
• Grant date: Feb 11, 2003
• Expiry date: Sep 14, 2021

Classification

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

Abstract

A resistant based thermal probe including a nanometer sized four-leg filament integrated with a piezoresistive AFM type cantilever is created by depositing the filament structure onto the cantilever by a chemical vapor deposition technique where the cantilever is exposed to the flux of precursor gas. An incident electron beam causes a fragmentation of the gas molecules leaving a deposit behind which leads to a conductive deposit shaped as a multi-leg filament structure for thermal measurements of a sample. A deposited four leg filament structure has a mechanical rigidity, high spatial resolution, low thermal conductivity and thermal capacitance, fast response time, and in combination with a four point resistant measurement and lock-in technique, eliminates resistivity for increasing both the temperature sensitivity and the signal-to-noise ratio of the thermal probe.