Capacitive transducer with electrostatic actuation
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A high precision force and displacement transducer comprising:
- a. a pair of capacitive transducers, each transducer including a separate drive plate, and a shared pick-up plate positioned between the separate drive plates; and
be means for selectively imparting a force on a remote object via the pick-up plate.
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Abstract
High precision force imparting and/or a force (including weight) and displacement measuring/indicating device which includes a multi-plate capacitor transducer system. The transducer may be used for both applying and measuring the applied force during microindentation or micro hardness testing, and for imaging before and after the testing to achieve an atomic force microscope type image of a surface topography before and after indentation testing.
84 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A high precision force and displacement transducer comprising:
a. a pair of capacitive transducers, each transducer including a separate drive plate, and a shared pick-up plate positioned between the separate drive plates; and
be means for selectively imparting a force on a remote object via the pick-up plate.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A high precision transducer for detecting or imparting force or movement, and detecting force, weight, or position, the transducer comprising:
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a. a pair of capacitive transducers, each transducer including a separate drive plate, and a shared pick-up plate movably positioned between the separate drive plates; b. means for selectively imparting a force on a remote object via the pick-up plate; c. means responsive to the position of the pick-up plate relative to the drive plates for providing an output signal proportional to said relative position. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A high resolution transducer system for imparting force or movement to a remote point, and detecting force, weight, or position, for use in a microscopic test, the transducer system comprising:
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a. a transducer including; i. a pair of capacitive transducers, each transducer including a separate drive plate, a shared pick-up plate positioned between the separate drive plates; ii. means for transmitting force between a remote point and the pick-up plate; and b. means for controlling the pick-up plate including means for selectively imparting the force to the remote point during the microscopic test. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In a scanning probe microscope apparatus, the improvement comprising:
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a. a high precision capacitance transducer having a pick-up plate movably mounted; b. means for transmitting force between an object remote from said pick-up plate and said pick-up plate; and c. means for controlling the pick-up plate including means for selectively imparting a force on the remote object via the pick-up plate. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method of performing a micromechanical test on a sample comprising the steps of:
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a. placing the sample; b. performing the micromechanical test on the sample in place, including selectively imparting a force to the sample using a high precision capacitive transducer; and c. imaging the sample in place. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification