Calibration-surface-derived modeling of scanning probe microscope dynamics

In this paper, we present a novel scanning probe microscope (SPM) lateral dynamics modeling technique that exploits the SPM's topography measurement capabilities. SPMs are key tools in the advancement of nanotechnologies, but their speed is limited due to a number of key issues, including dynamic effects. In order to facilitate high-speed SPM operation, these dynamic effects should be accurately modeled, thus enabling the application of feedforward and feedback control methodologies. The main contribution of this study is the development of a modeling method that uses the SPM probe-sample interaction (topography) signal obtained by scanning a standard calibration sample to develop a transfer function model of the SPM dynamics. The novelty of this method is that it exploits the SPM probe-sample interaction signal to model the dynamics as opposed to external sensors. The method is presented in detail and experimentally verified using a commercial atomic force microscope (AFM).