MICRO STRUCTURE, CANTILEVER, SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND A METHOD OF MEASURING DEFORMATION QUANTITY FOR THE FINE STRUCTURE

• US 20060277981A1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: Ohta, Naoki, Kuwashima, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,520,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/105
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 35/00 Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0894 by non-contact electron transfer, i.e. electron tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 20/04 Self-detecting probes, i.e. wherein the probe itself generates a signal representative of its position, e.g. piezoelectric gauge

Abstract

It is desired that highly efficient and highly sensitive sensors being extremely small size is provided in desired position, desired shape and size for a micro structure that causes the elastic deformation at least a part thereof. Moreover, it is also required that facilitating to assemble and adjust the components, miniaturizing and simplifying the detection circuit, and measuring a local displacement of a fine part of the micro structure. The disclosing micro structure is cantilever 1 which beam part 14 causes the elastic deformation. This cantilever 1 is provided with a sensor 12 detecting elastic deformation of beam part 14 by tunneling effect.

Claims

1. A micro structure that at least a part of the micro structure causes elastic deformation, wherein said micro structure having a sensor to detect said elastic deformation by a tunneling effect.

2. The micro structure of claim 1, wherein plurality of said sensors are provided at regions causing said elastic deformation in said micro structure so that an axis of member of said plurality of sensors cross at right angle mutually.

3. The micro structure of claim 1, wherein said sensor uses at least a part of a region which causes said elastic deformation of said micro structure as that component.

4. The micro structure of the claim 1, wherein said sensor detects said elastic deformation of said micro structure as change of electric resistance.

5. The micro structure of the claim 1, wherein a resistance area product, that is the product of resistance and surface area, of the sensor is 100 kΩ

·

μ

m² or less.

6. The micro structure of claim 3, wherein said sensor comprising:

an insulating layer that forms a tunneling barrier;

an upper electrode is conductive and is formed on upper surface of said insulating layer; and

at least a part of said micro structure which has conductivity and is used for a lower electrode of said insulating layer.

7. A cantilever of scanning probe microscope, wherein said cantilever comprises the micro structure of the claim 1, when a front end of said cantilever is made to approach to a specimen surface, said front end is made to scan the specimen in two dimensions relatively, said scanning probe microscope detects physical quantity working with said specimen surface and said front end of said cantilever as deformation quantity.

8. A cantilever of scanning probe microscope, wherein said cantilever comprises the micro structure of the claim 2, when a front end of said cantilever is made to approach to a specimen surface, said front end is made to scan the specimen in two dimensions relatively, said scanning probe microscope detects physical quantity working with said specimen surface and said front end of said cantilever as deformation quantity.

9. A cantilever of scanning probe microscope, wherein said cantilever comprises the micro structure of the claim 3, when a front end of said cantilever is made to approach to a specimen surface, said front end is made to scan the specimen in two dimensions relatively, said scanning probe microscope detects physical quantity working with said specimen surface and said front end of said cantilever as deformation quantity.

10. A cantilever of scanning probe microscope, wherein said cantilever comprises the micro structure of the claim 4, when a front end of said cantilever is made to approach to a specimen surface, said front end is made to scan the specimen in two dimensions relatively, said scanning probe microscope detects physical quantity working with said specimen surface and said front end of said cantilever as deformation quantity.

11. A cantilever of scanning probe microscope, wherein said cantilever comprises the micro structure of the claim 5, when a front end of said cantilever is made to approach to a specimen surface, said front end is made to scan the specimen in two dimensions relatively, said scanning probe microscope detects physical quantity working with said specimen surface and said front end of said cantilever as deformation quantity.

12. A cantilever of scanning probe microscope, wherein said cantilever comprises the micro structure of the claim 6, when a front end of said cantilever is made to approach to a specimen surface, said front end is made to scan the specimen in two dimensions relatively, said scanning probe microscope detects physical quantity working with said specimen surface and said front of said cantilever end as deformation quantity.

13. A scanning probe microscope, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises the cantilever of claim 7.

14. A scanning probe microscope, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises the cantilever of claim 8.

15. A scanning probe microscope, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises the cantilever of claim 9.

16. A scanning probe microscope, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises the cantilever of claim 10.

17. A scanning probe microscope, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises the cantilever of claim 11.

18. A scanning probe microscope, wherein the scanning probe microscope comprises the cantilever of claim 12.

19. A method for measuring deformation quantity for a micro structure, wherein the method, that comprises:

providing several sensors to detect elastic deformations by tunneling effect in the micro structure that causes the elastic deformation; and

detecting the elastic deformation of each part of said micro structure as change of electric resistance by the several sensors.

20. The method for measuring deformation quantity for the micro structure of claim 19, wherein said several sensors are provided at regions causing said elastic deformations in said micro structure so that mutual axis of member of said sensors cross at right angle.