Probe for scanning over a substrate and a data storage device

• US 7,482,826 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Albrecht, Thomas, Duerig, Urs T., Rothuizen, Hugo E., Despont, Michel, Wiesmann Rothuizen, Dorothea W., Lantz, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHAUN M
• Application Number:
  US11/332,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 324/762
• US Class Current: 324/755.07
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 35/00 Methods or apparatus for measurement or analysis of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 70/14 Particular materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 80/00 Applications, other than SPM, of scanning-probe techniques manufacture or treatment of nanostructures B82B3/00; recording or reproducing information using near-field interaction G11B9/12, G11B11/24, G11B13/08
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 11/007 with reproducing by means directly associated with the tip of a microscopic electrical probe as defined in G11B9/14 details of heads G11B9/1409; disposition or mounting of heads G11B9/1418
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 9/1409 Heads

Abstract

A data storage device comprises a storage medium for storing data in the form of marks and at least one probe for scanning the storage medium. The storage medium may be comprised in a substrate. The probe comprises a cantilever that comprises terminals serving as electrical contacts an being during operation of the probe mechanically fixed to a probe-holding structure, which may be a common frame of the data storage device. A probe further comprises a supporting structure, to which the terminals are mechanically directly coupled or coupled via hinges and which extends away from the terminals. A tip with a nanoscale apex is provided. A beam structure comprises a heating resistor and is attached at ends to the supporting structure. The beam structure is thinned at least in a direction parallel to an axis of the tip compared to an area of the supporting structure abutting the beam structure.

Claims

1. A probe configured to scan over a substrate, comprising:

terminals;

a supporting structure that extends away from the terminals;

at least one bridge element, including two reverse based diodes and a lateral cross-section including a sequence of a highly n-doped zone, a low n-doped zone, a highly p-doped zone and a highly n-doped zone, the at least one bridge element being configured to mechanically couple to and to electrically decouple the supporting structure from the terminals;

a tip with an apex disposed thereon and having a radius of 10 nm or less or 20-40 nm;

a beam structure including a heating resistor, which is mechanically attached at ends thereof to the supporting structure, and which is thinned at least in a direction parallel to an axis of the tip compared to an area of the supporting structure abutting the beam structure; and

at least one dielectric and thermally insulating reinforcement beam, having a u-shaped cross-section tapering towards extremities thereof, attached to and extending fully along an extension of the beam structure and toward, but not along, the heating resistor, the reinforcement beam being configured to thereby mechanically reinforce the beam structure,

wherein a distance from the heating resistor to each end of the beam structure is equal to or longer than half of a temperature decay length.