TODAY’S PATENT- PROBE FOR A SCANNING MICROSCOPE

Today’s patent was invented by Yoshikazu Nakayama, Takashi Okawa, Shigenobu Yamanaka, Akio Harada, Masatoshi Yasutake, and Yoshiharu Shirakawabe on July 15, 2008, bearing patent no. US7398678B2.

This present invention provides a probe for the scanning microscope in which palladium covering film is formed on the surface of the protruding portion of a cantilever. The base end portion of a nanotube is disposed of in contact with the palladium covering film with the tip end portion of the nanotube protruding to the outside. Therefore, allows the tip end to be used as a probe needle end for detecting signals.

There is a coating film that is formed to cover all or part of the surface of this base end portion and the nanotube is thus firmly fastened to the cantilever. Since the base end portion adheres tightly to the palladium covering film, both of them are electrically continuous. This palladium covering film allows as an electrode film, the application of a voltage to the nanotube, or the passage of an electric current through the nanotube, showing also good adhesion to the nanotube and cantilever.