Single-chip atomic force microscope with integrated Q-enhancement and isothermal scanning

We present the highest resolution imaging performance attained to date with a single-chip Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) that does not require off-chip scanning or sensing hardware. The marked improvement in sensitivity of the instrument stems in part from an internal quality (Q) factor enhancement mechanism that relies on the interplay between effects in the electrical, thermal and mechanical domains. In addition, careful matching of the strain sensor in an electrothermally actuated, piezoresistively detected resonant cantilever improves the dynamic range of the instrument. Furthermore, an integrated isothermal electrothermal scanner has been developed to scan a surface area of ~50μm × ~15μm while maintaining a constant temperature at the tip and sensor locations, thereby suppressing the deleterious thermal crosstalk effects that have plagued previously reported electrothermal scanner designs.