Sensor for observations in liquid environments and observation apparatus for use in liquid environments

1. A sensor for observing a sample in a liquid, comprising:

a self-detecting probe having a probe tip located at its front end and placed opposite to the sample to be observed, a cantilever having a base end supported to a body portion of the probe, a strain resistive element formed over the cantilever and having a resistance value varying according to an amount of displacement of the cantilever, and interconnects electrically connected with the strain resistive element and extending from the cantilever to over the body portion;

an elongated, belt-like flexible substrate having an interconnect pattern sealed between two insulating sheets, the flexible substrate supporting the body portion while the cantilever protrudes outwardly, the flexible substrate having at least one end brought out of the liquid, the flexible substrate having external contacts exposed to the outside at said one end brought out of the liquid;

connecting members electrically connecting said interconnects with said interconnect pattern; and

an insulating resinous portion with which said interconnects, said connecting members, and portions of the connecting members electrically connected with the interconnect pattern are coated.

2. A sensor as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said self-detecting probe is supported such that said body portion is sandwiched between said insulating sheets.

3. A sensor as set forth in claim 2 ,

wherein said flexible substrate is provided with through-holes;

wherein said self-detecting probe is so supported that said cantilever protrudes into spaces formed by said through-holes;

wherein when said flexible substrate is flat, the cantilever is nested within thickness of the substrate; and

wherein when said flexible substrate is curved, the cantilever protrudes from a surface of the substrate.

4. A sensor as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said through-holes formed in the flexible substrate are regularly spaced from each other longitudinally of the substrate, and wherein said self-detecting probe is mounted in each of the through-holes.

5. A sensor as set forth in claim 2 , wherein a vibration source for vibrating said cantilever with given phase and amplitude while the vibration source is electrically connected with said interconnect pattern is mounted between said insulating sheets and said body portion.

6. An observation apparatus adapted for observations under liquid environments, said observation apparatus comprising:

a sensor adapted for observations in liquid environments as set forth in claim 1 ;

a cantilever holder which has a fixing mechanism for detachably holding the sensor and which, when the sensor is set, places said probe tip opposite to the sample;

a moving mechanism for scanning the probe tip and the sample relative to each other in a direction parallel to a surface of the sample and for moving the probe tip and the sample relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the sample;

a detection mechanism for detecting a value of an electrical current flowing through said interconnects via said external contacts to detect an amount of displacement of the cantilever; and

an observation mechanism for observing the sample by controlling the moving mechanism to control the distance between the probe tip and the surface of the sample during the scanning such that the amount of displacement of the cantilever or an amount of amplitude is kept constant.

7. An observation apparatus as set forth in claim 6 ,

wherein said fixing mechanism has wires extending in a widthwise direction substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of said flexible substrate;

wherein said sensor for observations under liquid environments is pushed down on said cantilever holder and held using the wires and is released by loosening the wires; and

wherein notches into which the wires enter to place the wires in position are formed on opposite sides of said flexible substrate.

8. An observation apparatus as set forth in claim 6 ,

wherein said flexible substrate is provided with guide holes extending through the substrate;

wherein said fixing mechanism has fixing pins of one pair which can be moved toward and away from each other and which are inserted into said guide holes; and

wherein a tensile force is applied across said flexible substrate by moving the fixing pins away from each other, thus holding the sensor.

9. An observation apparatus as set forth in claim 8 ,

wherein said guide holes extend through said external contacts and are formed at ends of said flexible substrate; and

wherein said detection mechanism and said external contacts are automatically electrically interconnected by inserting said fixing pins into the guide holes.

10. An observation apparatus as set forth in claim 6 , wherein said fixing mechanism has suction passages in communication with openings formed in said cantilever holder, and wherein said sensor is attracted and held via the suction passages.