Single-wafer tunneling sensor and low-cost IC manufacturing meth

Details Single-wafer tunneling sensor and low-cost IC manufacturing meth Single-wafer tunneling sensor and low-cost IC manufacturing meth

1994-08-19

1997-01-21

Anderson, Bruce C.

Radiant energy

Inspection of solids or liquids by charged particles

H01J 37244

Patent

active

055961940

ABSTRACT:
A tunneling tip sensor and method of photolithographically fabricating a unitary structure sensor on a semiconductor substrate are disclosed. A cantilever electrode is formed on the substrate with one end suspended above the substrate at a distance from a tunneling electrode so that a tunneling current flows through the cantilever and tunneling electrodes in response to an applied bias voltage. The cantilever and tunneling electrodes form a circuit that produces an output signal. A force applied to the sensor urges the cantilever electrode to deflect relative to the tunneling electrode to modulate the output signal. In the preferred embodiment, the output signal is a control voltage that is applied between the cantilever electrode and a control electrode to maintain a constant tunneling current. In an alternative embodiment, a lateral control electrode is fabricated to produce a lateral motion of the cantilever electrode such that the sensor detects a rotation. In another embodiment, x, y and z-axis sensors are fabricated on a substrate to provide a planar three-axis sensor.

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Kobayashi et al. "An Integrated Lateral Tunneling Unit" Micro Electro Mechanical Systems, US, New York, IEEE, Feb. 4-7, 1992, pp. 214-219.
T. W. Kenny, et al., "Micromachined tunneling displacement transducers for physical sensors", Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology, Jul./Aug., 1993, pp. 797-802.
W. J. Kaiser, et al. "Tunnel-Effect Displacement Sensor", NTIS Tech Notes, Apr., 1990.

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