New dynamic scanning force microscopes using piezoelectric PZT microcantilevers

Piezoelectric cantilevers have made it possible to build new scanning force microscopes (SFMs) which are simple, compact and easy to operate, because they have self-sensing, self-exciting and self-deflection controlling abilities. Specifically, since they can directly be excited by applying ac voltage to the piezoelectric layer, new types of dynamic SFMs are expected to be developed using them. In this paper, we describe a new dynamic SFM in liquid and a new dynamic contact mode SFM using piezoelectric microcantilevers with sol-gel derived PZT thin film.