Automatic assembly of quartz tuning fork and microcantilever

Conventional atomic force microscopes (AFMs) detect microcantilever deflection using an optical lever system. However, the complex mechanism of the optical lever system and the alignment of the laser spot on the microcantilever prevent such AFM systems from scanning large samples. AFM systems using a quartz tuning fork (QTF) as a force sensor have been proven feasible, and enhance compactness of the AFM system. This paper presents the automatic assembly of the QTF sensor and the microcantilever of commercial AFM probe using a visual servo method.