A new-designed non-raster scan and precision control for increasing AFM imaging speed

Atomic force microscope (AFM) is able to perform high resolution 3-D topography image at a nanometer resolution. This paper demonstrates the amplitude-detection mode atomic force microscopy (AM-AFM) with the proposed modified cycloid trajectory (MCT) for lateral-axes. Besides, the internal model principle-based neural network complementary sliding mode control (IMP-based NNCSMC) approach of designing controller is implemented for the xy-piezoelectric scanner to overcome some non-linear uncertainties or disturbance. Furthermore, the MCT method is a smooth and cycloid-like scan pattern that can avoid the containing frequency in fast axis signal beyond mechanical bandwidth of the scanner such that AFM can achieve higher scan speed than a raster scan. Finally, some comparison results between MCT and raster scan will be provided.