CMOS-MEMS dynamic FM atomic force microscope

We present the first imaging results with a dynamic FM-AFM (frequency modulation atomic force microscope) on a chip. This instrument does not require any off-chip scanning hardware or position sensors. The CMOS-MEMS dynamic FM-AFM includes 3-D electrothermal actuation, 3-axis position sensing, and a flexural resonant cantilever with balanced piezoresistive detection, all integrated on a single chip. Several design principles are applied to reduce the instrument's sensitivity to electrical and thermal coupling effects. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first integrated dynamic FM-AFM that can image a sample independently.