We describe a tip-scan-type high-speed XYZ-nanopositioner designed for scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), with a special care being devoted to the way of nanopipette holding. The nanopipette probe is mounted in the center of a hollow piezoactuator, both ends of which are attached to identical diaphragm flexures, for Z-positioning. This design minimizes the generation of undesirable mechanical vibrations. Mechanical amplification is used to increase the XY-travel range of the nanopositioner. The first resonance frequencies of the nanopositioner are measured as ∼100 kHz and ∼2.3 kHz for the Z- and XY-displacements, respectively. The travel ranges are ∼6 μm and ∼34 μm for Z and XY, respectively. When this nanopositioner is used for hopping mode imaging of SICM with a ∼10-nm radius tip, the vertical tip velocity can be increased to 400 nm/ms; hence, the one-pixel acquisition time can be minimized to ∼1 ms.

1.
G.
Binnig
,
C. F.
Quate
, and
C.
Gerber
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
56
,
930
(
1986
).
2.
Y. F.
Dufrêne
,
T.
Ando
,
R.
Garcia
,
D.
Alsteens
,
D.
Martinez-Martin
,
A.
Engel
,
C.
Gerber
, and
D. J.
Müller
,
Nat. Nanotechnol.
12
,
295
(
2017
).
3.
Y.
Zhou
,
C.-C.
Chen
,
A. E.
Weber
,
L.
Zhou
,
L. A.
Baker
, and
J.
Hou
,
Tissue Barriers
1
,
e25585
(
2013
).
4.
T.
Ushiki
,
M.
Nakajima
,
M.
Choi
,
S.-J.
Cho
, and
F.
Iwata
,
Micron
43
,
1390
(
2012
).
5.
J.
Seifert
,
J.
Rheinlaender
,
P.
Novak
,
Y. E.
Korchev
, and
T. E.
Schaffer
,
Langmuir
31
,
6807
(
2015
).
6.
P.
Hansma
,
B.
Drake
,
O.
Marti
,
S.
Gould
, and
C.
Prater
,
Science
243
,
641
(
1989
).
7.
Y. E.
Korchev
,
C. L.
Bashford
,
M.
Milovanovic
,
I.
Vodyanoy
, and
M. J.
Lab
,
Biophys. J.
73
,
653
(
1997
).
8.
P.
Novak
,
A.
Shevchuk
,
P.
Ruenraroengsak
,
M.
Miragoli
,
A. J.
Thorley
,
D.
Klenerman
,
M. J.
Lab
,
T. D.
Tetley
,
J.
Gorelik
, and
Y. E.
Korchev
,
Nano Lett.
14
,
1202
(
2014
).
9.
P.
Novak
,
C.
Li
,
A. I.
Shevchuk
,
R.
Stepanyan
,
M.
Caldwell
,
S.
Hughes
,
T. G.
Smart
,
J.
Gorelik
,
V. P.
Ostanin
,
M. J.
Lab
,
G. W. J.
Moss
,
G. I.
Frolenkov
,
D.
Klenerman
, and
Y. E.
Korchev
,
Nat. Methods
6
,
279
(
2009
).
10.
Y. K.
Yong
,
K.
Liu
, and
S. R.
Moheimani
,
IEEE Trans. Control Syst. Technol.
18
,
1172
(
2010
).
11.
T.
Ando
,
T.
Uchihashi
, and
T.
Fukuma
,
Prog. Surf. Sci.
83
,
337
(
2008
).
12.
T.
Ando
,
N.
Kodera
,
E.
Takai
,
D.
Maruyama
,
K.
Saito
, and
A.
Toda
,
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
98
,
12468
(
2001
).
13.
Y.
Yong
and
S. R.
Mohemani
,
IEEE Trans. Nanotechnol.
12
,
137
(
2013
).
14.
Y.
Yong
,
S. R.
Moheimani
,
B. J.
Kenton
, and
K.
Leang
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
83
,
121101
(
2012
).
15.
Y. K.
Yong
,
S. S.
Aphale
, and
S. R.
Moheimani
,
IEEE Trans. Nanotechnol.
8
,
46
(
2009
).
16.
Y.
Fu
,
H.
Tokuhisa
, and
L. A.
Baker
,
Chem. Commun.
2009
,
4877
.
17.
H.
Watanabe
,
T.
Uchihashi
,
T.
Kobashi
,
M.
Shibata
,
J.
Nishiyama
,
R.
Yasuda
, and
T.
Ando
,
Rev. Sci. Instrum.
84
,
053702
(
2013
).
18.
D.
Klenerman
,
Y. E.
Korchev
, and
S. J.
Davis
,
Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol.
15
,
696
(
2011
).
You do not currently have access to this content.