AFM Microcantilever With a Collocated AlN Sensor-Actuator Pair: Enabling Efficient Q-Control for Dynamic Imaging
This manuscript presents a novel microcantilever with an embedded piezoelectric sensor-actuator pair for dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM). The transducer pair is constructed from a two-layered AlN stack. Stacking the piezoelectric transducers in this manner leads to a minimal feedthrough from actuation to sense electrode, granting a high dynamic range frequency response for dynamic mode AFM. The cantilever's design allows for dual mode operation at 1 st and 2 nd resonance modes. High resolution tapping mode imaging results are reported, while the cantilever is operated at these modes. A feedback control loop is used to modify quality factor of the 1 st mode of the cantilever, using a positive position feedback (PPF) controller. Here, a faster response time is achieved by reducing the Q-factor, enabling the cantilever to track the topography at a higher scan rate. Results of bimodal AFM imaging are reported, using amplitude changes of the 1 st mode for surface topography, while material properties are encoded in phase changes of the 2 nd mode.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (United States); Zyvex Labs, LLC, Richardson, TX (United States); National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Boulder, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Advanced Manufacturing Office
- Grant/Contract Number:
- EE0008322
- OSTI ID:
- 1768377
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 29, Issue 5; ISSN 1057-7157
- Publisher:
- IEEECopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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