Nanotipped device and method

Abstract

A dispensing device has a cantilever comprising a plurality of thin films arranged relative to one another to define a microchannel in the cantilever and to define at least portions of a dispensing microtip proximate an end of the cantilever and communicated to the microchannel to receive material therefrom. The microchannel is communicated to a reservoir that supplies material to the microchannel. One or more reservoir-fed cantilevers may be formed on a semiconductor chip substrate. A sealing layer preferably is disposed on one of the first and second thin films and overlies outermost edges of the first and second thin films to seal the outermost edges against material leakage. Each cantilever includes an actuator, such as for example a piezoelectric actuator, to impart bending motion thereto. The microtip includes a pointed pyramidal or conical shaped microtip body and an annular shell spaced about the pointed microtip body to define a material-dispensing annulus thereabout. The working microtip may be used to dispense material onto a substrate, to probe a surface in scanning probe microscopy, to apply an electrical stimulus or record an electrical response on a surface in the presence of a local environment created around the tip by the material dispensed from the tip or to achieve other functions.

1 - 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . A method of scanning probe microscopy of a surface, comprising providing a cantilever extending from a substrate and having a microtip proximate to an end of the cantilever and moving the cantilever to have the microtip probe the surface. 
     
     
         54 . A method of applying an electrical stimulus and measuring the electrical response of a surface in nanometer-scale vicinity of a probing tip in the presence of a locally created environment at the end of the tip through material dispensed around that tip, comprising providing a cantilever extending from a substrate and having a volcano-shaped microtip through which a material creating the local environment is dispensed proximate an end of the cantilever and moving the cantilever to have the microtip provide an electrical stimulus or to record an electrical response at a given location on the surface. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54  wherein the stimulus is applied and/or recorded at the given location to characterize one of the surface and the dispensed material. 
     
     
         56 .- 58 . (canceled) 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 53  including moving the cantilever using an actuator disposed on the cantilever. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59  including imparting a bending motion to the cantilever by energizing a piezoelectric actuator, a thin film thermal actuator, or a magnetic film actuator disposed on the cantilever. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 53  wherein the microtip includes a pointed tip. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 54  wherein the electrical stimulus is a constant or varying voltage or current. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 54  wherein the material creating the local environment comprises an electrolyte. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63  wherein the electrolyte comprises HCl, NaCl, or copper sulfate.