A novel piezoresistive microprobe for atomic and lateral force microscopy

In this article, we present the development of a novel probe for atomic force and lateral force microscopy, based on detailed finite-elements method (FEM) simulation. The FEM simulation is performed by means of the ANSYS 5.3 code. The developed probe consists of a micromachined silicon cantilever beam with an integrated micro-tip and piezoresistive sensors for detecting the lateral and vertical forces acting on the tip. The sensitivity for vertical displacement detection of 1.26 μV/nm (for 1 kΩ piezoresistor) and for lateral displacement detection of 0.46 μV/nm (for 0.7 kΩ resistors), by 0.6 V applied supply voltage was obtained. The principle of the probe, theoretical analysis, and experimental investigation of the probe sensor are discussed. The probe is suitable for operating in contact and noncontact atomic force microscopy (AFM) mode. The probe was utilized for imaging the surface of a chromium/quartz structure.