High speed and parallel nanoimaging using an array of heated atomic force microscope cantilevers

Abstract

We report high speed and parallel nanotopography imaging using an array of heated microcantilevers integrated into a commercial atomic force microscope (AFM). The array has five silicon cantilevers with embedded resistive heaters whose temperatures can be controlled independently. The cantilever temperatures are independently controlled using feedback loops implemented via high speed analog circuitry. The heated cantilevers can measure surface nanotopograpy by measuring the changes in heat flow as the cantilevers scan over the surface. We demonstrate imaging of nanostructures of height 25-100 nm using the cantilever array over an area 550 μm × 90 μm. The resulting image was a 3.1 million pixel image, acquired in 62 seconds. The vertical resolution was 0.6 nm for a pixel size 351 nm × 45 nm.