A High-Speed Single Crystal Silicon AFM Probe Integrated with PZT Actuator for High-Speed Imaging Applications

Abstract

A new high speed AFM probe has been proposed and fabricated. The probe is integrated with PZT actuated cantilever realized in bulk silicon wafer using heavily boron doped silicon as an etch stop layer. The cantilever thickness can be accurately controlled by the boron diffusion process. Thick SCS cantilever and integrated PZT actuator make it possible to be operated at high speed for fast imaging. The resonant frequency of the fabricated probe is 92.9 kHz and the maximum deflection is 5.3 <TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX> at 3 V. The fabricated probe successfully measured the surface of standard sample in an AFM system at the scan speed of 600<TEX>${\mu}m$</TEX>/sec.