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US5255258A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Microprobe, preparation thereof and electronic device by use of said microprobe
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1991-01-18
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Granted: 1993-10-19
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Expires: 2011-01-18
Abstract
Abstract A microprobe is provided which comprises a single crystal provided on a part of one main surface of a substrate or a part of a thin film formed on one main surface of the substrate. The microprobe may have a single crystal having an apex portion surrounded by facets having a specific plane direction and comprising a specific crystal face. The method for preparing the microprobe and an electronic device employing the microprobe also provided which is useful for recording and reproducing.
Inventors
- 👤 Hisaaki Kawade
- 👤 Haruki Kawada
- 👤 Kunihiro Sakai
- 👤 Hiroshi Matsuda
- 👤 Yuko Morikawa
- 👤 Yoshihiro Yanagisawa
- 👤 Tetsuya Kaneko
- 👤 Toshimitsu Kawase
- 👤 Hideya Kumomi
- 👤 Hiroyasu Nose
- 👤 Eigo Kawakami
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 06:36
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01Q; G01Q70/00; G01Q70/08; G01Q70/10; G01Q60/00; G01Q60/10; G01Q60/16; G01Q80/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S117/00; Y10S117/913; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/70; Y10S977/84; Y10S977/849; Y10S977/86; Y10S977/861; Y10S977/902; Y10S977/932; Y10S977/943; Y10S977/947; Y10S977/949
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
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.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| 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 |