Development of On-Chip AFM and Its Application to Single-Atom Friction Measurement

Abstract

A 3D microstage for high-precision friction force measurement has been developed. This 3D micro-stage is driven in three dimensions by electrostatic actuators and can be employed as a novel driving mechanism for atomic force microscopy (AFM). The 3D microstage is fabricated using MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology. The maximum displacements of the 3D microstage were measured to be 6.1 μm, 6.8 μm, and 3.6 μm in the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively. An on-chip AFM was completed by fixing this 3D microstage and a cantilever using magnetic force. The distance between the cantilever probe tip and the stage was approximately 2.9 μm.