The benefits of miniaturization of an atomic force microscope

A single-chip Atomic Force Microscope (sc-AFM) has been developed that integrates X, Y, and Z scanners, sensors, and a sharp tip onto a single 1×1 mm CMOS-MEMS device to replace a conventional AFM. This solution leverages physical scaling laws to offer numerous benefits over conventional instruments, including reduced size (1,000x), reduced cost (100x), superior vibration immunity, and improved versatility. In addition, this small, portable system enables new applications for AFM and lowers the barrier to widespread adoption of this popular nanotechnology tool.