US5255258A — Microprobe, preparation thereof and electronic de…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 91 words

An electronic device for performing recording and reproduction, comprising a probe electrode constituted of a single crystal, a recording medium provided in opposition to said probe electrode, means for applying a voltage between said probe electrode and said recording medium, means for moving said probe for recording and/or reproducing information at different positions on said recording medium and means for detecting the position of said probe on said recording medium, wherein said single crystal has an apex surrounded by facets having a specific plane direction and including a specific crystal face.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 91 words

An electronic device for performing recording and reproduction, comprising a probe electrode constituted of a single crystal, a recording medium provided in opposition to said probe electrode, means for applying a voltage between said probe electrode and said recording medium, means for moving said probe for recording and/or reproducing information at different positions on said recording medium and means for detecting the position of said probe on said recording medium, wherein said single crystal has an apex surrounded by facets having a specific plane direction and including a specific crystal face.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 28 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the crystal face of the facet of said probe electrode is constituted of single crystals of (411) or (311) directions.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 20 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, having a probe electrode equipped with an amplifier adjacent to said single crystal.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 17 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein a plural number of said probe electrodes are provided.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 56 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium has a positional coordinate axis which functions as a standard and said detecting means detects the position on said positional coordinate axis, thereby performing recording, reproduction or erasing of the recorded information at the position of said recording medium corresponding to the coordinate position detected.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 25 words

An electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the positional coordinate axis which functions as said standard is a coordinate axis based on atomic arrangement.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 41 words

An electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the original point which functions as the standard is provided on at least one of the positional coordinate axis which functions as said standard and the position of the recording medium corresponding thereto.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 23 words

An electronic device according to claim 5, wherein a plural number of the positional coordinate axis which functions as said standard are formed.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 39 words

An electronic device according to claim 5, having a plural number of said probe electrodes, of which one probe electrode is used for detection of the positional coordinate is used, and the other probe electrodes for recording or reproduction.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 16 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium has as electric memory effect.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 43 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium has a standard scale which becomes a standard within the plane, and said detecting means detects a relative deviation within the recording medium plane between said standard scale and the probe electrode.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 18 words

An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein said standard scale is a scale based on atomic arrangement.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 19 words

An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein said standard scale has an original point which becomes the standard.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 17 words

An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein a plural number of said standard scales are provided.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 93 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said probe electrode is a probe electrode formed through a step of providing on a part of one main surface of a substrate or on a part of a thin film formed on one main surface of the substrate a different material having nucleation density sufficiently larger than said substrate or thin film, and being small to such an extent that only a single nucleus can be grown thereon, and a step of forming a single crystal by growing a single nucleus on said material.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 77 words

An electronic device according to claim 1, wherein said probe electrode is a probe electrode formed through a step of laminating on a single crystal substrate an insulating layer having an opening so that a part of said single crystal substrate may be exposed, and a step of growing a single crystal having an apex portion surrounded by facets having a specific plane direction and comprising a specific crystal face by selective epitaxial growth from said opening.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 175 words

An encoder, comprising an electroconductive standard scale which becomes a standard with respect to a length on a surface, an electroconductive probe constituted of a single crystal with a tip thereof being arranged in proximity to said standard scale surface, means for applying voltage between said standard scale and said probe, means for detecting a tunnel current value flowing between said standard scale and said probe and outputting a signal corresponding to a relative movement amount in a lateral direction between said standard scale and said probe based on said tunnel current value, means for detecting the relative movement amount and the lateral direction between said standard scale and said probe based on the signal from said signal outputting means, and means for counting a relative deviation amount in the lateral direction between said standard scale and said probe from said relative movement amount in the lateral direction and said relative movement direction, wherein said single crystal has an apex portion surrounded by facets having a specific plane direction and including a specific crystal face.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 175 words

An encoder, comprising an electroconductive standard scale which becomes a standard with respect to a length on a surface, an electroconductive probe constituted of a single crystal with a tip thereof being arranged in proximity to said standard scale surface, means for applying voltage between said standard scale and said probe, means for detecting a tunnel current value flowing between said standard scale and said probe and outputting a signal corresponding to a relative movement amount in a lateral direction between said standard scale and said probe based on said tunnel current value, means for detecting the relative movement amount and the lateral direction between said standard scale and said probe based on the signal from said signal outputting means, and means for counting a relative deviation amount in the lateral direction between said standard scale and said probe from said relative movement amount in the lateral direction and said relative movement direction, wherein said single crystal has an apex portion surrounded by facets having a specific plane direction and including a specific crystal face.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 18 words

An encoder according to claim 17, wherein said probe has a facet face of (411) to (311) directions.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 17 words

An encoder according to claim 17, which is provided with an electrode wiring adjacent to said probe.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 16 words

An encoder according to claim 17, which is provided with an amplifier adjacent to said probe.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-10-18	1997-04-19	1997-10-19	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-10-18	2001-04-19	2001-10-19	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-10-18	2005-04-19	2005-10-19	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Microprobe, preparation thereof and electronic device by use of said microprobe

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