US 7,444,856 B2
Sensors for electrochemical, electrical or topographical analysis
Friedrich B. Prinz, Woodside, Calif. (US); Ye Tao, Stanford, Calif. (US); Rainer J. Fasching, Mill Valley, Calif. (US); Ralph S. Greco, Stanford, Calif. (US); Kyle Hammerick, Mountain View, Calif. (US); and Robert Lane Smith, Palo Alto, Calif. (US)
Assigned to The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Palo Alto, Calif. (US)
Filed on Sep. 22, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/233,677.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/613173, filed on Sep. 23, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2006/0213259 A1, Sep. 28, 2006
Int. Cl. G12B 21/02 (2006.01); G12B 21/06 (2006.01); G01N 13/10 (2006.01); G01N 13/24 (2006.01); B82B 1/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 73—105  [324/715; 422/82.01; 436/63; 977/860; 977/869; 977/875] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device for electrical, electrochemical or topographical analysis, comprising:
a) a cantilever with a top and a bottom surface;
b) one or more probes, wherein each of said probes has a tip end and a base end, wherein said tip end of said probe comprises an electrode, wherein said tip end of each of said probes has a radius of curvature of less than about 50 nm, and wherein a ratio of the distance between said tip end and said base end of said probe and the diameter of said base end of said probe is greater than about 19:1; and
c) a holder for each of said probes, wherein said holder is positioned on the top surface of one end of said cantilever, wherein said holder has a bore to hold said base end of said probe, wherein said probe is situated inside said bore of said holder and is oriented with said tip end pointing away from said top surface of said cantilever, and wherein said holder extends from said top surface of said cantilever to less than the tip end of said probe.