A family of silicon micro-sensors for Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is presented that allows to operate with integrated transducers from medium to high frequencies together with moderate stiffness constants. The sensors are based on Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems technology. The vertical design specifically enables a long tip to oscillate perpendicularly to the surface to be imaged. The tip is part of a resonator including quasi-flexural composite beams, and symmetrical transducers that can be used as piezoresistive detector and/or electro-thermal actuator. Two vertical probes (Vprobes) were operated up to 4.3 MHz with stiffness constants 150 N/m to 500 N/m and the capability to oscillate from 10 pm to 90 nm. AFM images of several samples both in amplitude modulation (tapping-mode) and in frequency modulation were obtained.

1.
G.
Binnig
,
C. F.
Quate
, and
C.
Gerber
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
56
(
9
),
930
(
1986
).
2.
F. J.
Giessibl
,
Rev. Mod. Phys.
75
(
3
),
949
(
2003
);
T. R.
Albrecht
and
C. F.
Quate
,
J. Appl. Phys.
62
(
7
),
2599
(
1987
).
3.
P.
Parot
,
Y. F.
Dufrêne
,
P.
Hinterdorfer
,
C.
Le Grimellec
,
D.
Navajas
,
J.-L.
Pellequer
, and
S.
Scheuring
,
J. Mol. Recognit.
20
(
6
),
418
(
2007
).
4.
T. R.
Albrecht
,
S.
Akamine
,
T. E.
Carver
, and
C. F.
Quate
,
J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A
8
(
4
),
3386
(
1990
).
5.
A. P.
Nievergelt
,
J. D.
Adams
,
P. D.
Odermatt
, and
G. E.
Fantner
,
Beilstein J. Nanotechnol.
5
,
2459
(
2014
).
6.
M. G.
Ruppert
,
D. M.
Harcombe
, and
S. O. R.
Moheimani
,
IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatronics
21
(
6
),
2705
(
2016
).
7.
A.
Toshio
,
K.
Noriyuki
,
T.
Eisuke
,
M.
Daisuke
,
S.
Kiwamu
, and
T.
Akitoshi
,
Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.
98
(
22
),
12468
(
2001
).
8.
H.
Watanabe
,
T.
Uchihashi
,
T.
Kobashi
,
M.
Shibata
,
J.
Nishiyama
,
R.
Yasuda
, and
T.
Ando
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
84
(
5
),
053702
(
2013
).
9.
M.
Tortonese
,
R. C.
Barrett
, and
C. F.
Quate
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
62
(
8
),
834
(
1993
).
10.
W. P.
King
,
T. W.
Kenny
,
K. E.
Goodson
,
G. L. W.
Cross
,
M.
Despont
,
U. T.
Durig
,
H.
Rothuizen
,
G.
Binnig
, and
P.
Vettiger
,
J. Microelectromech. Syst.
11
(
6
),
765
(
2002
).
11.
R. P.
Ried
,
H.
Jonathon Mamin
,
B. D.
Terris
,
L.-S.
Fan
, and
D.
Rugar
,
J. Microelectromech. Syst.
6
(
4
),
294
(
1997
).
12.
F. J.
Giessibl
,
Appl. Phys. Lett.
76
(
11
),
1470
(
2000
).
13.
T.
An
,
T.
Nishio
,
T.
Eguchi
,
M.
Ono
,
A.
Nomura
,
K.
Akiyama
, and
Y.
Hasegawa
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
79
(
3
),
033703
(
2008
).
14.
F. J.
Giessibl
,
H.
Bielefeldt
,
S.
Hembacher
, and
J.
Mannhart
,
Appl. Surf. Sci.
140
(
3
),
352
(
1999
).
15.
M.
Faucher
,
B.
Walter
,
A. S.
Rollier
,
K.
Seguini
,
B.
Legrand
,
G.
Couturier
,
J. P.
Aime
,
C.
Bernard
,
R.
Boisgard
, and
L.
Buchaillot
,
paper presented at The TRANSDUCERS 2007 - 2007 International Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Conference
,
2007
.
16.
S.
Houmadi
,
B.
Legrand
,
J. P.
Salvetat
,
B.
Walter
,
E.
Mairiaux
,
J. P.
Aimé
,
D.
Ducatteau
,
P.
Merzeau
,
L.
Buisson
,
J.
Elezgaray
,
D.
Théron
, and
M.
Faucher
,
paper presented at The 2015 28th IEEE International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
,
2015
.
17.
G.
Elias
,
T.
Glatzel
,
E.
Meyer
,
A.
Schwarzman
,
A.
Boag
, and
Y.
Rosenwaks
,
Beilstein J. Nanotechnol.
2
,
252
(
2011
).
18.
S.
Morita
,
F. J.
Giessibl
,
E.
Meyer
, and
R.
Wiesendanger
, Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy (Springer editions), Vol. 3.
19.
M.
Dukic
,
J. D.
Adams
, and
G. E.
Fantner
,
Sci. Rep.
5
,
16393
(
2015
).
20.
S.
Shi
,
D.
Guo
, and
J.
Luo
,
RSC Adv.
7
(
19
),
11768
(
2017
).
21.
O.
Sahin
and
N.
Erina
,
Nanotechnology
19
(
44
),
445717
(
2008
).
You do not currently have access to this content.