Motion sensor integrated nano-probe N/MEMS apparatus, method, and applications

1. A nano-probe N/MEMS apparatus, comprising:

an operationally stationary substrate having a flat, top support surface;

a nano-probe device structure having a bottom surface, disposed adjacently over an area of the flat, top support surface of the substrate;

a pedestal structure disposed immediately adjacent said flat, top support surface of the substrate and said bottom surface of the nano-probe device structure that fixedly connects the nano-probe device structure to the substrate;

a motion sensor coupled to the nano-probe device structure and fixedly connected to said flat, top support surface via a portion of the pedestal structure;

a nano-probe having a distal tip operatively not attached to the nano-probe device structure and the motion sensor, wherein the nano-probe is freely moveable with respect to both the fixedly disposed nano-probe device structure and the stationary substrate at least in a plane parallel to the flat, top support surface of the substrate and a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the nano-probe device structure; and

an immovable probe tip disposed operationally adjacent the nano-probe tip and configured to be laterally moveable with respect to the at least one immovable probe tip in a plane parallel to the flat, top support surface of the substrate.

2. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nano-probe tip has an angle from 30 to 60 degrees.

3. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor comprises a junction field-effect device and a spring.

4. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the motion sensor includes a junction field-effect device channel region.

5. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motion sensor is coupled to the nano-probe through at least one actuator.

6. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-probe tip is electrically isolated from the at least one immovable probe tip.

7. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the nano-probe tip is axially retractable and extendable with respect to the at least one immovable probe tip.

8. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-probe tip has a length from about 30 to about 500 microns, a lateral dimension from about 300 to about 1000 nanometers.

9. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-probe tip is moveable in an elliptical 3D orbit.

10. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-probe tip and the at least one immovable probe tip are separated by an air gap.

11. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the nano-probe tip and the at least one immovable probe tip are separated by a distance from about 100 nanometer to about 1200 nanometers.

12. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-probe device structure has two immovable probe tips disposed operationally adjacent the nano-probe tip.

13. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the junction field-effect device is a JFET that is monolithically integrated into the nano-probe N/MEMS apparatus.

14. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the nano-probe is coupled to a JFET electrode through an electrostatic energy-sustaining gap.

15. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the motion sensor comprises a piezo-transducer.

16. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-probe device structure further comprises a meander spring coupled to the nano-probe.

17. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the spring is a meander spring.

18. The nano-probe apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nano-probe tip is retractable, extendable, and bendable with respect to the at least one immovable probe tip.

19. A probing method, comprising:

positioning, with respect to a sample, nano-probe N/MEMS apparatus, comprising an operationally stationary substrate having a flat, top support surface; a nano-probe device structure having a bottom surface, disposed adjacently over an area of the flat, top support surface of the substrate; a pedestal structure disposed immediately adjacent said flat, top support surface of the substrate and said bottom surface of the nano-probe device structure that fixedly connects the nano-probe device structure to the substrate; a motion sensor coupled to the nano-probe device structure and fixedly connected to said flat, top support surface via a portion of the pedestal structure; and a nano-probe having a distal tip operatively not attached to the nano-probe device structure and the motion sensor, wherein the nano-probe is freely moveable with respect to both the fixedly disposed nano-probe device structure and the stationary substrate at least in a plane parallel to the flat, top support surface of the substrate and a plane parallel to the bottom surface of the nano-probe device structure; and

moving the nano-probe with respect to the sample while measuring a signal output from the motion sensor;

wherein the nano-probe device structure is characterized by having at least one immovable probe tip disposed operationally adjacent the nano-probe tip and configured to be laterally moveable with respect to the at least one immovable probe tip in a plane parallel to the flat, top support surface of the substrate.

20. The probing method of claim 19 , wherein the motion sensor comprises a JFET, the nano-probe is coupled to a JFET electrode through an electrostatic energy-sustaining gap, and the freely moveable nano-probe is sensed by a change in a JFET channel carrier mobility via an electrostatic force-induced strain in the JFET channel.

21. The probing method of claim 19 , wherein the motion sensor comprises a JFET, the nano-probe is coupled to a JFET electrode through an electrostatic energy-sustaining gap, and the freely moveable nano-probe is sensed by a floating potential on a JFET gate generated by a coupled charge across the nano-probe, which modulates a JFET channel current in the form of a measureable signal.