Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Processes and products – Coating – forming or etching by sputtering
Reexamination Certificate
2007-04-26
2011-12-06
McDonald, Rodney (Department: 1724)
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Processes and products
Coating, forming or etching by sputtering
C204S192320
Reexamination Certificate
active
08070920
ABSTRACT:
The invention provides methods for sharpening the tip of an electrical conductor. The methods of the invention are capable of producing tips with an apex radius of curvature less than 2 nm. The methods of the invention are based on simultaneous direction of ionized atoms towards the apex of a previously sharpened conducting tip and application of an electric potential difference to the tip. The sign of the charge on the ions is the same as the sign of the electric potential. The methods of the invention can be used to sharpen metal wires, metal wires tipped with conductive coatings, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, semiconducting nanowires, and semiconductors in other forms.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5727978 (1998-03-01), Alvis et al.
patent: 5864199 (1999-01-01), Alvis et al.
patent: 5993281 (1999-11-01), Musket
patent: 6329214 (2001-12-01), Hattori et al.
patent: 6452171 (2002-09-01), Moloni
patent: 6504151 (2003-01-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 6902716 (2005-06-01), Lee et al.
patent: 2005/0006226 (2005-01-01), Baldwin et al.
patent: 2007/0025907 (2007-02-01), Rezeq et al.
patent: 2009/0297422 (2009-12-01), Zuo et al.
patent: 04104448 (1992-04-01), None
patent: 08285867 (1996-11-01), None
patent: 2000081381 (2000-03-01), None
patent: WO 2006/035403 (2006-04-01), None
Benatar et al. (Jun. 1998) “SPMs Step from Laboratory to Industry,” TheIndustrial Physicist:34-36.
Biegelson et al. (Mar. 16, 1987) “Ion Milled Tips for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy,”Appl. Phys Lett. 50(11):696-698.
de Raad (1999) “Use of the Schiller Decapitation Process for the Manufacture of High Quality Tungsten Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Tips,”J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B17(5):1946-1953.
Ding et al. (Jul. 1997) “Field Emission from Amorphous Diamond Coated Mo Tip Emitters by Pulsed Laser Deposition,”J. Vac. Sci. Tech. B. 15(4):840-844.
Fink, H.W. (Sep. 1986) “Mono-Atomic Tips for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy,”IBM. J. Res. Dev. 30(5):460-465.
Givargizov et al. (1998) “Ultrasharp Diamond-Coated Silicon Tips for Scanning-Probe Devices,”Microelectronic Engineering41-42: 499-502.
Hoffrogge et al. (Nov. 15, 2001) “Nanostructuring of Tips for Scanning Probe Microscopy by Ion Sputtering: Control of the Apex Ratio and the Tip Radius,”J. Appl. Phys. 90(10):5322.
International Search Report and Written Opinion, Corresponding to International Application No. PCT/US07/67531, Mailed Jun. 26, 2008.
Keller et al., (1992) “Sharp, Vertical-Walled Tips for SFM Imaging of Steep or Soft Samples,”Ultramicroscopy42-44( 2):1481-1489.
Krauss et al. (Mar. 1, 2001) “Electron Field Emission for Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Films,”J. Appl. Phys. 89(5):2958-2967.
Kubby et al. (Jan. 1986) “High Resolution Structuring of Emitter Tips for the Gaseous Ionization Source,”J. Vac. Sci Technol. B4(1):120-125.
Kubby, J.A. (1986) “Ion Beam Micro-Sculpturing,”Dissertation Abstracts International47-02(Sec. B):0660.
Lucier, A.S. (Feb. 2004) “Preparation and Characterization of Tungsten Tips Suitable for Molecular Electronics Studies,” Masters of Science Thesis, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, title page and pp. 5-32.
Miyamoto et al. (1991) “Ion Beam Fabrication of Diamond Probes for a Scanning Tunneling Microscope,”Nanotechnology2:52-56.
Moroshita et al. (Jan. 1991) “Sharpening of Monocrystalline Molybdenum Tips by Means of Inert-Gas Ion Sputtering,”J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A9(1):167-169.
Nützenadel et al. (Oct. 28, 1996) “Electron Field Emission from Diamond Tips Prepared by Ion Sputtering,”Appl. Phys. Lett. 69(18):2662-2664.
Randall et al. (Nov./Dec. 2009) “Atomic Precision Lithography on Si,”J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B. 27(6):2764-2768.
Schiller et al. (Oct. 1, 1995) “Decapitation of Tungsten Field Emitter Tips During Sputter Sharpening,”Surface Sci. 339(3):L925-L930.
Sigmund (Nov. 1973) “A Mechanism of Surface Micro-Roughening by Ion Bombardment,”J. Mat. Sci. 8(11):1545-1553.
Stepanova et al. (Mar./Apr. 1998) “Preparation of Ultrasharp Diamond Tip Emitters by Ion-Beam Etching,”J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B. 16(2):678-680.
Vasile et al. (Sep. 1991) “Scanning Probe Tips Formed by Focused Ion Beams,”Rev. Sci Instrum. 62(9):2167-2171.
Vasile et al. (1991) “Scanning Probe Tip Geometry Optimized for Metrology by Focused Ion Beam Ion Milling,”J. Vac. Sci. Instrum. 9(6):3569-3572.
Ximen (2002) “Microfabrication of AFM tips using focused ion and electron beam techniques,”Ultramicroscopy42-44( 2):1526-1532.
Zhang (1996) “Preparation of Sharp Polycrystalline Tungsten Tips for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Imaging,”J. Vacuum Sci. &Tech. B14(1):1-10.
Barber et al. (1973) “Prediction of Ion-Bombarded Surface Topographies Using Frank's Kinematic Theory of Crystal Dissolution,”J. Mater. Sci. 8:1030-1040.
Bradley et al. (Jul./Aug. 1988) “Theory of Ripple Topography Induced by Ion Bombardment,”J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A6(4):2390-2396.
Carter et al. (1981) “A Second-Order Erosion Slowness Theory of the Development of Surface Topography by Ion-Induced Sputtering,”J. Mater. Sci. 16:2091-2102.
Carter et al. (1977) “Analytical Modeling of Sputter Induced Surface Morphology,”Radiation Effects31:65-87.
Carter, G. (1976) “The Influence of Surface Diffusion on Topography Development of an Amorphous Solid During Sputtering,”J. Mater. Sci.11:1091-1098.
Carter et al. (1973) “The Growth of Topography During Sputtering of Amorphous Solids,”J. Mater. Sci. 8:1473-1481.
Güntherschulze et al. (1926) “Neue Untersuchengen Ober die Kathodenzerstäubung der Glimmerntladung,”Theodor Baum, ZS. F. Phys40:686-695.
Rezeq et al. (2006) “Tungsten Nanotip Fabrication by Spatially Controlled Field-Assisted Reaction with Nitrogen,”J. Chem. Phys. 124:204716.
Sigmund, P. (Aug. 10, 1969) “Theory of Sputtering. I. Sputtering Yield of Amorphous and Polycrystalline Targets,”Phys. Rev.184(2):383-416.
Wang et al. (2006) “Diamond Cone Arrays with Controlled Morphologies Formed by Self-Organized Selective Ions Sputtering,”J. Appl. Phys. 100:034312.
S.W. Schmucker, L.B. Ruppalt, J.W. Lyding, “One nanometer radius of curvature metallic probes created by field-directed sputter sharpening,” International Conference on Nanoscience and Technology, poster presentation, Jul. 2006.
S.W. Schmucker, N. Kumar, J.R. Abelson, S.R. Daly, G.S. Girolami, J.W. Lyding, “High-Precision Atomic Patterning Enabled by Field-Directed Sputter Sharpening” Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology Nanotechnology Workshop, poster presentation, Sep. 2008.
Lyding Joseph W.
Schmucker Scott W.
Greenlee Sullivan P.C.
McDonald Rodney
The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
LandOfFree
Nanometer-scale sharpening of conductor tips does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Nanometer-scale sharpening of conductor tips, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Nanometer-scale sharpening of conductor tips will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-4297504