Patents by Inventor Bernd Irmer

Bernd Irmer has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11480588
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a probe device for scanning probe microscopy, in particular for atomic force microscopy, wherein a scanning probe microscope is used for measuring a sample by means of a tip which is arranged on a cantilever of the probe device and which has a tip geometry. According to the invention, in a step upstream of the manufacturing process producing the tip, the tip geometry is optimized based on a selected tip basic form with regard to defined, required measurement properties, by computer simulating and evaluating the tip geometry, and modifying the tip geometry according to the evaluation with regard to these measurement properties. The invention further relates to a probe device for scanning probe microscopy, in particular for atomic force microscopy, having a cantilever and a tip formed on the cantilever in the nanometer range, with which samples to be measured can be scanned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Inventor: Bernd Irmer
  • Publication number: 20210318351
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a probe device for scanning probe microscopy, in particular for atomic force microscopy, wherein a scanning probe microscope is used for measuring a sample by means of a tip which is arranged on a cantilever of the probe device and which has a tip geometry. According to the invention, in a step upstream of the manufacturing process producing the tip, the tip geometry is optimized based on a selected tip basic form with regard to defined, required measurement properties, by computer simulating and evaluating the tip geometry, and modifying the tip geometry according to the evaluation with regard to these measurement properties. The invention further relates to a probe device for scanning probe microscopy, in particular for atomic force microscopy, having a cantilever and a tip formed on the cantilever in the nanometer range, with which samples to be measured can be scanned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventor: Bernd Irmer
  • Publication number: 20200341028
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for providing a probe device for scanning probe microscopy, in particular for atomic force microscopy, wherein a scanning probe microscope is used for measuring a sample by means of a tip which is arranged on a cantilever of the probe device and which has a tip geometry. According to the invention, in a step upstream of the manufacturing process producing the tip, the tip geometry is optimized based on a selected tip basic form with regard to defined, required measurement properties, by computer simulating and evaluating the tip geometry, and modifying the tip geometry according to the evaluation with regard to these measurement properties. The invention further relates to a probe device for scanning probe microscopy, in particular for atomic force microscopy, having a cantilever and a tip formed on the cantilever in the nanometer range, with which samples to be measured can be scanned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventor: Bernd Irmer
  • Patent number: 8739310
    Abstract: A structure for the characterization of a tip of an atomic force microscope, the structure being produced on a substrate and including a first support element located above the substrate; a first characterization element with a constant thickness, the first characterization element being located above the first support element and having an upper flat surface and a lower flat surface covering the upper surface of the first support element with two zones extending beyond the upper surface of the first support element, each zone having a characterization surface at one end which is capable of coming into contact with a tip to be characterized, the upper surface and the lower surface of said first characterization element being parallel to the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives, Nanotools GmbH
    Inventors: Johann Foucher, Bernd Irmer
  • Patent number: 8723138
    Abstract: A tip of an electron beam source includes a core carrying a coating. The coating is formed from a material having a greater electrical conductivity than a material forming the surface of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Drexel, Ulrich Mantz, Bernd Irmer, Christian Penzkofer
  • Publication number: 20130291236
    Abstract: A structure for the characterization of a tip of an atomic force microscope, the structure being produced on a substrate and including a first support element located above the substrate; a first characterization element with a constant thickness, the first characterization element being located above the first support element and having an upper flat surface and a lower flat surface covering the upper surface of the first support element with two zones extending beyond the upper surface of the first support element, each zone having a characterization surface at one end which is capable of coming into contact with a tip to be characterized, the upper surface and the lower surface of said first characterization element being parallel to the upper surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: Johann Foucher, Bernd Irmer
  • Patent number: 8209768
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an SPM probe having a support element, a cantilever, and a scanning tip on an underside of the cantilever, and having a mark located on the top side of the cantilever opposite the scanning tip. The mark on the top side of the cantilever is located exactly opposite the scanning tip on the underside of the cantilever. This makes it possible to identify the exact position of the scanning tip in the scanning probe microscope from the upward-pointing top side of the cantilever, which significantly simplifies the alignment of the SPM probe. The support element with the cantilever may be prefabricated conventionally and the scanning tip and the mark are then produced on the cantilever in a self-aligning way by means of a particle-beam-induced material deposition based on a gas-induced process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2012
    Assignee: NanoWorld AG
    Inventors: Thomas Sulzbach, Oliver Krause, Mathieu Burri, Manfred Detterbeck, Bernd Irmer, Christian Penzkofer
  • Publication number: 20120131785
    Abstract: A tip of an electron beam source includes a core carrying a coating. The coating is formed from a material having a greater electrical conductivity than a material forming the surface of the core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicants: NANOTOOLS GMBH, CARL ZEISS NTS GMBH
    Inventors: Volker Drexel, Ulrich Mantz, Bernd Irmer, Christian Penzkofer
  • Patent number: 8164071
    Abstract: A tip of an electron beam source includes a core carrying a coating. The coating is formed from a material having a greater electrical conductivity than a material forming the surface of the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignees: Carl Zeiss NTS GmbH, nanotools GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Drexel, Ulrich Mantz, Bernd Irmer, Christian Penzkofer
  • Publication number: 20100095409
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an SPM probe having a support element, a cantilever, and a scanning tip on an underside of the cantilever, and having a mark located on the top side of the cantilever opposite the scanning tip. The mark on the top side of the cantilever is located exactly opposite the scanning tip on the underside of the cantilever. This makes it possible to identify the exact position of the scanning tip in the scanning probe microscope from the upward-pointing top side of the cantilever, which significantly simplifies the alignment of the SPM probe. The support element with the cantilever may be prefabricated conventionally and the scanning tip and the mark are then produced on the cantilever in a self-aligning way by means of a particle-beam-induced material deposition based on a gas-induced process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: NANOWORLD AG
    Inventors: Thomas SULZBACH, Oliver KRAUSE, Mathieu BURRI, Manfred DETTERBECK, Bernd IRMER, Christian PENZKOFER
  • Publication number: 20100078557
    Abstract: A tip of an electron beam source includes a core carrying a coating. The coating is formed from a material having a greater electrical conductivity than a material forming the surface of the core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicants: CARL ZEISS NTS GMBH, NANOTOOLS GMBH
    Inventors: Volker Drexel, Ulrich Mantz, Bernd Irmer, Christian Penzkofer