Novel Atomic Force Microscope Probes with Integrated Electrostatic Actuation and Optical Detection

In this work, a new class of atomic force microscope (AFM) probe, called force-sensing integrated readout and active tip (FIRAT), is developed. It combines several micromechanical devices (MEMS) techniques, diffraction based optical sensing and electrostatic actuation, to improve the speed and sensitivity of AFM systems for imaging and force measurement applications both in air and in liquid media.