High resolution atomic force microscopy with an active piezoelectric microcantilever

Nasrabadi, Hazhir Mahmoodi; Mahdavi, Mohammad; Soleymaniha, Mohammadreza; Moheimani, S. O. Reza

doi:10.1063/5.0090668

Title: High resolution atomic force microscopy with an active piezoelectric microcantilever

Journal Article · Fri Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2022 · Review of Scientific Instruments

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0090668· OSTI ID:1979082

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^[1]; Soleymaniha, Mohammadreza ^[1];

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University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (United States)

Active microcantilevers with on-chip sensing and actuation provide significant advantages in tapping mode Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Collocated transduction allows for effective manipulation of cantilever dynamics through feedback control, enabling higher scan rates. However, the adjacency of the sensing and actuation electrodes is known to result in a high level of feedthrough, leading to a low imaging resolution. Readout circuit noise further deteriorates the imaging precision. Here, we investigate the noise sources that affect AFM microcantilevers with collocated aluminum nitride (AlN) actuator–sensor pairs. We reported these cantilevers in earlier work and demonstrated that they display a very low level of feedthrough between the actuation and sensing electrodes. We present a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) sensing method that enables us to demonstrate high-resolution AFM on a calibration grating with nm-step silicon carbide (SiC) terraces. In conclusion, measuring the Lorentzian response of the cantilever’s Brownian motion with the on-chip active sensor at resonance enables us to calibrate the dynamic stiffness at the first fundamental resonance mode, without utilizing an optical sensor.

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Research Organization:: Univ. of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX (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:: 1979082

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1876535

Journal Information:: Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 93, Issue 7; ISSN 0034-6748

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Title: High resolution atomic force microscopy with an active piezoelectric microcantilever

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