What is claimed is:
1. A probe, comprising:
a probe body having a body longitudinal axis and a shoulder; and
a microstylet mechanically coupled to and extending from the shoulder and having a microstylet longitudinal axis coincident the body longitudinal axis, the microstylet having a cross section substantially smaller than a cross section of the probe body.
2. The probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the microstylet comprises an acerate microparticle selected from the group consisting of:
a carbon whisker;
a metal needle; and
a diamond.
3. The probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the carbon nanotube is a single-walled carbon nanotube or a multi-walled carbon nanotube.
4. The probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the probe body comprises a tube.
5. The probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the probe body comprises a glass tube.
6. The probe as recited in claim 1 wherein a portion of the microstylet resides within the probe body.
7. The probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the shoulder includes a fastigiate shoulder.
8. The probe as recited in claim 1 wherein the probe is a field emitter, a micromanipulator or a microinjector.
9. A method of manufacturing a probe, comprising:
providing a hollow probe body having a body longitudinal axis and an inner wall;
filling at least a portion of the hollow probe body with a suspension including microstylets;
drawing the portion to align a longitudinal axis of at least one of the microstylets with the body longitudinal axis; and
exposing the at least one of the microstylets.
10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein exposing includes etching an end of the portion.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the etching includes a first etch and a second etch.
12. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising sealing an end of the probe body prior to the filling.
13. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein filling includes filling wherein the microstylets are selected from the group consisting of:
a carbon nanotube;
a carbon whisker;
a metal needle; and
a diamond.
14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein filling includes filling wherein the carbon nanotube is a single-walled carbon nanotube or a multi-walled carbon nanotube.
15. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein filling includes filling with a suspension further comprising a menstruum having high volatility.
16. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising evaporating the menstruum to cause the microstylets to adhere to the inner wall.
17. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein filling includes filling wherein the menstruum is a low carbon number alcohol.
18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein filling includes filling wherein t he low carbon number alcohol is selected from the group consisting of:
methyl alcohol;
ethyl alcohol; and
isopropyl alcohol.
19. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein drawing includes applying a force aligned with the body longitudinal axis to an end of the probe body.
20. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein drawing includes applying heat to the portion.
21. A probe, comprising:
a probe body having a body longitudinal axis and a shoulder; and
a carbon nanotube mechanically coupled to and extending from the shoulder and having a carbon nanotube longitudinal axis coincident the body longitudinal axis, the carbon nanotube having a cross section substantially smaller than a cross section of the probe body.
22. The probe as recited in claim 21 wherein the carbon nanotube is a single-walled carbon nanotube or a multi-walled carbon nanotube.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A general purpose test equipment system comprising:
hardware having common object request broker architecture software and
a mark-up language enabled input connected to the hardware.
2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the mark-up language enabled input generates a machine-ingestible document appropriate for configuring and controlling test equipment.
3. A system as in claim 1 wherein the mark-up language comprises XML.
4. A system as in claim 1 wherein the mark-up language comprises SGML.
5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the mark-up language comprises HTML.
6. A system as in claim 1 wherein the mark-up language enabled input comprises a mark-up language reader configured to receive a performance specification document and output a delimited configuration file.
7. A system as in claim 6 wherein the reader selectively outputs a human readable document corresponding to the performance specification document.
8. A system as in claim 6 wherein the performance specification document comprises:
an order of test operations to be performed on equipment, wherein the order of test operations is defined in mark-up language,
a specification of system interfaces for the application of stimulus to and the collection of measurements from the system during test operations, wherein the specification is defined in mark-up language,
a specification of units and values to be applied to the equipment during test operations, wherein the specification is defined in mark-up language,
a specification of units and values to be measured during test operations,
an identification of a test system response to failure, a specification for collection of test results, and
a specification for storage of test results.
9. A method of configuring test equipment comprising;
inputting, in mark-up language format:
an order of test operations,
a specification of system interfaces for the application of stimulus to and the collection of measurements from the system during test operations
units and values to be applied to the equipment during test operations,
units and values to be measured during test operations,
a test system response to a failure,
a specification of collection of test results,
a specification of storage of test results,
generating a delimited configuration file, dependent upon said inputting; and
entering the delimited configuration file into test equipment.
10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the mark-up language comprises SGML.
11. A method as in claim 9 wherein the mark-up language comprises XML.
12. A method as in claim 9 wherein the mark-up language comprises HTML.
13. A method as in claim 9 further comprising generating a human-readable document dependent upon said entering from the same XML source document used to generate the delimited configuration file.
14. A system of configuring test equipment comprising:
means for inputting, in mark-up language format:
an order of test operations,
a specification of system interfaces for the application of stimulus to and the collection of measurements from the system during test operations
units and values to be applied to the equipment during test operations,
units and values to be measured during test operations,
a test system response to a failure,
a specification of collection of test results,
a specification of storage of test results,
means for generating a delimited configuration file, dependent upon said means for inputting; and
means for entering the delimited configuration file into test equipment.
15. A system as in claim 14 wherein the mark-up language comprises SGML.
16. A system as in claim 14 wherein the mark-up language comprises XML.
17. A system as in claim 14 wherein the mark-up language comprises HTML.
18. A system as in claim 14 further comprising means for generating a human-readable document dependent upon said means for entering.