4691.2:
Nanochemical Surface Analyzer: Tip Approach by On-chip Actuator and Electronics
Abstract
In combination with the interdependent sister project (16.1 Spencer et al.), a nanochemical analyzer on a CMOS platform will be developed and a new massively parallel approach (10 cantilevers) to AFM in material characterization will be established.
The issue of this subproject (16.2) is to assess the feasibility of performing the final surface approach (several microns) of the tips or cantilevers by using the on-chip actuators and electronics without the need of external help like a piezoelectric actuator. This is in order to drastically reduce the complexity and the cost of such a material characterization tool. Each of the ten cantilevers will be selectively thermally actuated (in analogy to a bimetallic strip) and will be approached to the surface by using the integrated heaters. Piezoresistors in a Wheatstone bridge configuration will be used to measure and monitor the respective cantilever deflection.