Fiber probe fabrication having a tip with concave sidewalls
First Claim
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1. A method of making a fiber probe device including the steps of:
- (a) providing a cylindrical fiber segment;
(b) etching, prior to step (c), only a cylindrical bottom region of the fiber segment, the bottom region having an initial height, whereby its maximum width is reduced;
(c) cleaving the bottom region whereby its initial height is reduced to a reduced height and a cleaved bottom endface thereof is produced;
(d) coating both the cleaved endface and a first height of the sidewalls that is equal to or less than its reduced height with a protective masking layer;
(e) etching the bottom region whereby the sidewalls thereof become concave;
(f) removing, prior to step (g), the masking layer; and
(g) etching the bottom region whereby the maximum width of the cleaved endface is reduced to a desired value.
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Abstract
A probe device is fabricated from a glass fiber segment by first isotropically etching only a portion of the diameter of only a bottom region thereof. Next, the bottom region is cleaved, to produce a cleaved bottom endface. Then the cleaved endface and a height of the sidewalls of the bottom region that is less than its total height are coated with a protective masking layer. The fiber segment is immersed in an isotropic etching solution, whereby its diameter is reduced. Finally, the masking layer is stripped off, and the bottom region is etched again until the (maximum) diameter of the cleaved endface is reduced to a desired value.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of making a fiber probe device including the steps of:
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(a) providing a cylindrical fiber segment; (b) etching, prior to step (c), only a cylindrical bottom region of the fiber segment, the bottom region having an initial height, whereby its maximum width is reduced; (c) cleaving the bottom region whereby its initial height is reduced to a reduced height and a cleaved bottom endface thereof is produced; (d) coating both the cleaved endface and a first height of the sidewalls that is equal to or less than its reduced height with a protective masking layer; (e) etching the bottom region whereby the sidewalls thereof become concave; (f) removing, prior to step (g), the masking layer; and (g) etching the bottom region whereby the maximum width of the cleaved endface is reduced to a desired value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification