This probe features an AFM-type cantilever with a sharp pyramidal tip composed of four freestanding silicon nitride nanowires coated by conductive material. The nanowires form an electrical cross junction at the apex of the tip, addressable through the electrodes integrated on the cantilever. The cross junction on the tip apex can be utilized to produce heat and detect local temperature changes or to serve as a miniaturized Hall magnetometer enabling, in principle, thermal and magnetic imaging by scanning the probe tip over a surface.
Scanning microscopy probes with a fluidic microchannel directly incorporated into an AFM-type cantilever allow controllable, local dispensing and aspiration of liquid through a submicron aperture at the probe tip. Our microfluidic probe can be used for various applications ranging from nanopatterning, ion conductance microscopy, patch clamp measurements, direct cell injection, cell staining and cell adhesion.
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A drastic reduction of friction (superlubricity) on a scanning probe tip can be achieved by electrostatic force modulation. A novel AFM probe with an electrostatic circular membrane actuator monolithically integrated at the end of the cantilever allow an improved control of force excitation and consequently a more stable small-amplitude oscillation, which is essential for reduced friction.
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Scanning rates of the atomic force microscope (AFM) could be significantly increased by integrating the force sensing probe with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). We present a micromachining method for batch fabrication of in-plane AFM probes that consist of an ultra-sharp silicon nitride tip on a single crystal silicon cantilever.
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