AVS 60th International Symposium and Exhibition
    Scanning Probe Microscopy Focus Topic Thursday Sessions
       Session SP+AS+BI+NS-ThP

Paper SP+AS+BI+NS-ThP1
Vision Sensing Based Drift Measurement and Compensation in Real Time for Atomic Force Microscope

Thursday, October 31, 2013, 6:00 pm, Room Hall B

Session: Scanning Probe Microscopy Poster Session
Presenter: Y. Wang, Beihang University, China
Authors: Y. Wang, Beihang University, China
H. Wang, The Ohio State University
S. Bi, Beihang University, China
Correspondent: Click to Email
Atomic force microscope (AFM) is unique in its capability in measuring deformation and force in subnanometers and has been a crucial tool in nanoscale science and technology since its invention. However, mechanical drift between AFM cantilevers and sample surfaces limits its applications, especially for some biological experiments which require long time measurement. In this study, the mechanical drift is obtained in real time by simultaneously measuring the z position of AFM cantilevers and sample surfaces through an off-focus image processing based vision sensing method. In this method, the z position of a micro bead is measured by processing the off-focus images of the bead with an optical microscope. To get the z position of an AFM cantilever, the cantilever is first fabricated with focused ion beam (FIB) and a micro bead is attached to the end of the cantilever. Another bead is placed on a transparent sample substrate. The z positions of the AFM cantilever and the sample surface can be simultaneously obtained through measuring the z position for the beads at end of the AFM cantilever and the sample surface, respectively. The mechanical drift between the cantilever and sample surface can be obtained and then compensated in real time.