Multi-probe atomic force microscopy using piezo-resistive cantilevers and interaction between probes

Abstract

We developed a multi-probe atomic force microscopy (MP-AFM) system using piezo-resistive cantilevers. The use of piezo-resistive self-sensing cantilevers with deflection sensors as probes markedly reduced complexity in the ordinary AFM setup. Simultaneous observation images can be acquired by the MP-AFM under frequency modulation (FM) detection operations. The minimum distance between these probes was 6.9 μm using the piezoresistive cantilevers fabricated by a focused ion beam. Furthermore, we found that the nanoscale interaction between the probes was detected by determining the change in the amplitude of each cantilever. It was clarified that the interaction effect depended on the vibration amplitude of the cantilever-probe. © 2013 The Surface Science Society of Japan.