Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical device includes a substrate; a piezoelectric actuator disposed on the substrate; and an elastic member affixed to the substrate at a first end thereof, and mechanically coupled to the piezoelectric actuator; wherein the elastic member comprises at least one of: a notch, a groove, and a recess.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical device including a substrate with a main surface, a piezoelectric actuator with a first side mechanically coupled to the substrate, an elastic member with a first end mechanically coupled to the substrate, and a transfer member mechanically coupling a second side of the piezoelectric actuator to the elastic member. The piezoelectric actuator is positioned lateral to an unfixed region of the elastic member. The method includes applying a voltage to a piezoelectric actuator altering the piezoelectric actuator's dimension vertical to the main surface of the substrate; and mechanically transferring the alteration to a coupling point of an elastic member.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a probe for scanning probe microscopy. The probe 20 comprises a tunnel-current conducting part 30 and a tunnel-current insulating part 40. The said parts are configured such that the insulating part determines a minimal distance between the conducting part 30 and the sample surface. The invention may further concern a scanning probe microscope having such a probe, and a corresponding scanning probe microscopy method. Since the distance to the sample surface 100 is actually determined by the insulating part 40, controlling the vertical position of the probe 20 relative to the sample surface is easily and rapidly achieved. The configuration of the parts allows for a fast scan of the sample surface, whereby high-speed imaging can be achieved. Further, embodiments allow for topographical variations to be accurately captured through tunneling effect.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes: providing a semiconductor substrate and locally heating the semiconductor substrate by using a heated tip structure. Locally heating the semiconductor substrate is carried out to locally modify the electrical properties of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate can be implanted with dopants, so that locally heating step causes a local activation of the implanted dopants. Furthermore, the semiconductor substrate can be provided with a dopant layer, so that locally heating step causes dopants to diffuse into the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical device including a substrate with a main surface, a piezoelectric actuator with a first side mechanically coupled to the substrate, an elastic member with a first end mechanically coupled to the substrate, and a transfer member mechanically coupling a second side of the piezoelectric actuator to the elastic member. The piezoelectric actuator is positioned lateral to an unfixed region of the elastic member. The method includes applying a voltage to a piezoelectric actuator altering the piezoelectric actuator's dimension vertical to the main surface of the substrate; and mechanically transferring the alteration to a coupling point of an elastic member.

Abstract: Tips including a platinum silicide at an apex of a single crystal silicon tip are provided herein. Also, techniques for creating a tip are provided. The techniques include depositing an amount of platinum (Pt) on a single crystal silicon tip, annealing the platinum and single crystal silicon tip to form a platinum silicide, and selectively etching the platinum with respect to the formed platinum silicide.

Abstract: Device having features formed utilizing probe-based lithography, including: depositing a preceramic polymer on a substrate; writing nanoscale features in the polymer by locally transforming the preceramic polymer via a chemical reaction causing it to undergo a permanent phase change into hardened, ceramic material, the chemical reaction activated with a prescribed activation energy supplied by heat and/or pressure applied by a probe tip; depositing new layers and continuing according to a desired three-dimensional pattern; by cross-linking unactivated preceramic polymer to act as a support medium that isolates a formed ceramic structure mechanically and/or electrically; and where the ceramic pattern is made electrically conductive by (a) incorporating dopant elements into or onto the preceramic polymer, or (b) performing the write step in a chemically-active environment that supplies dopant atoms during the chemical reaction.

Abstract: A method of repairing worn or blunt probe tips, attaching a desired tip material, or defining the registry of probe tips relative to planar surface, including: pressing a probe tip or an array of probe tips into a substrate pre-patterned with an array of tip-shaped molds, the molds containing a preceramic material that can bond to the worn probe tips by thermal activation, the substrate having a protective layer that prevents the preceramic material and/or thermally-activated ceramic material from bonding to the substrate; pressing the worn probe tips into the molds while heating the worn probe tips causing the preceramic material to bond to the worn probe tips and form a solid ceramic material; forming an array comprising a plurality of reconstructed probe tips that are sharper or consisting of a different material than the original worn or base probe tips; and reading and/or writing, with the array comprising the plurality of reconstructed probe tips, data that was unreadable and/or unwritable with the orig

Abstract: Storing data by forming permanent indents in a preceramic polymer, on a substrate, via a chemical reaction transforming the polymer through permanent phase change into hardened, ceramic material, where the chemical reaction activation energy is supplied by heat and pressure applied by a nanoscale probe tip; reading data with the tip by obtaining a topographical signal during readout of the bits; reading data with the tip, where the substrate and ceramic material are conducting, while recording varying electrical resistance measured through the tip-sample contact as the tip slides along the surface; where a separate surface layer formed over the ceramic material including a polymeric thin film with cross-linking protects the tip during writing and readout; and where the substrate is a rigid wall material that can aid indentation by preventing the precursor polymer from accommodating stress applied by the tip with plastic deformation.

Abstract: Probe-based lithography, including: depositing a preceramic polymer on a substrate; writing nanoscale features in the polymer by locally transforming the preceramic polymer via a chemical reaction causing it to undergo a permanent phase change into hardened, ceramic material, the chemical reaction activated with a prescribed activation energy supplied by heat and/or pressure applied by a probe tip; then depositing new layers and continuing according to a desired three-dimensional pattern; either by (a) removing unactivated preceramic polymer utilizing a removal solvent, or (b) cross-linking unactivated preceramic polymer to act as a support medium that isolates a formed ceramic structure mechanically and/or electrically; and where the ceramic pattern is made electrically conductive by (a) incorporating dopant elements into or onto the preceramic polymer, or (b) performing the write step in a chemically-active environment that supplies dopant atoms during the chemical reaction.