active-probe-atomic-force-microscopy-with-quattro-parallel-cantilever

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection

An Atomic Force Microscope&#160;(AFM) is&#160;a powerful and versatile tool for nanoscale surface studies to capture 3D topography images of samples. ...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Atomic force microscopy is a powerful topography imaging method used widely in nanoscale metrology and manipulation. A conventional Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) utilizes an optical lever system typically composed of a laser source, lenses and a four quadrant photodetector to amplify and measure the deflection of the cantilever probe. This optical method for deflection sensing limits the capability of AFM to obtaining images in transparent environments only. In addition, tapping mode imaging in liquid environments with transparent sample chamber can be difficult for laser-probe alignment due to multiple different refraction indices of materials. Spurious structure resonance can be excited from piezo actuator excitation. Photothermal actuation resolves the resonance confusion but makes optical setup more complicated. In this paper, we present the design and fabrication method of coated active scanning probes with piezoresistive deflection sensing, thermomechanical actuation and thin photoresist polymer surface coating. The newly developed probes are capable of conducting topography imaging in opaque liquids without the need of an optical system. The selected coating can withstand harsh chemical environments with high acidity (e.g., 35% sulfuric acid). The probes are operated in various opaque liquid environments with a custom designed AFM system to demonstrate the imaging performance. The development of coated active probes opens up possibilities for observing samples in their native environments.

Lights Out! Nano-Scale Topography Imaging of Sample Surface in Opaque Liquid Environments with Coated Active Cantilever Probes.

Visualization of biomedical samples in their native environments at the microscopic scale is crucial for studying fundamental principles and discovering biomedical systems with complex interaction. The study of dynamic biological processes requires a microscope system with multiple modalities, high spatial/temporal resolution, large imaging ranges, versatile imaging environments and ideally in-situ manipulation capabilities. Recent development of new Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) capabilities has made it such a powerful tool for biological and biomedical research. This review introduces novel AFM functionalities including high-speed imaging for dynamic process visualization, mechanobiology with force spectroscopy, molecular species characterization, and AFM nano-manipulation. These capabilities enable many new possibilities for novel scientific research and allow scientists to observe and explore processes at the nanoscale like never before. Selected application examples from recent studies are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of these AFM techniques.

Fangzhou Xia

Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Mechatronics Research Lab,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Research Lab,
Mechatronics Research Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection

Fangzhou Xia

Department of Mechanical Engineering,Mechatronics Research Lab,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Research Lab,Mechatronics Research Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection

Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Mechatronics Research Lab,
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Research Lab,
Mechatronics Research Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering