A self-actuating PZT cantilever integrated with piezoresistor sensor for AFM with high speed parallel operation

In this research, we studied the parasitic parameters inducing the electrical coupling between a sensor and PZT actuator using a simple equivalent circuit model of the cantilever with a piezoresistor sensor and PZT actuator. A fully integrated self-actuating PZT cantilever with a piezoresistor has been newly designed, fabricated, and characterized for high speed AFM. The fabricated PZT cantilevers provide 0.55 /spl mu/m/V of high tip displacement and about 5 times lower crosstalk than the previous cantilever structure. The measured resonant frequency was 73 kHz, which is 100 times higher than a conventional piezotube scanner. The piezotube scanner shows creep phenomena at approximately 180 /spl mu/m/sec of scan speed, but the fabricated self-actuating PZT cantilever has a good scanned image at 1 mm/sec.