Patent ID: 7464584
Filing Date: 2008-12-16
Classification: G01Q,G11B

Abstract:
1. A semiconductor probe comprising: a cantilever comprising an electrostatic force generation electrode formed on a surface of the cantilever facing the medium; and a tip formed on an end portion of the cantilever to write or read information on or from a ferroelectric medium which includes an electrode, the tip comprising a resistive region lightly doped with impurities and a conductive region heavily doped with impurities, wherein the electrostatic force generation electrode is not electrically connected to the conductive region of the tip, and a contact force between the tip and the medium is adjusted by selectively applying a voltage between the electrode of the ferroelectric medium and the electrostatic force generation electrode of the cantilever so as that the contact force when the semiconductor probe writes information to the ferroelectric medium is stronger than the contact force when the semiconductor probe reads information from the ferroelectric medium.