Probe Deflection Research Articles

TWO-STAGE ‘slingshot amplifier’ can detect subtle gravitational deviations

The possibility of setting up a space experiment aimed at detecting ultra-small deviations of the law of gravity of the central star of the planetary system from the Newton and Schwarzschild formats is demonstrated. The experiment comprises a ballistic flight of a space-probe along a trajectory composed of three treks divided by two gravity assist (GA) maneuvers at different planets, each GA acting as a powerful amplifier of the probe deflections caused by small deviations of the gravitational law. It is shown that the proposed (different) analytical and numerical computations of the probe's flight in a model of a planetary system simulating the Sun, Earth, and Venus, give similar results confirming a certain possibility to distinguish the forces of gravity described by the Schwarzschild and Eddington-Robertson metrics.

Discovery of asymmetric distribution of fine particles in fluidization using signal deflection reconstruction measurement

Bubbles in fluidization contribute to efficient gas–solid interaction and excellent transfer behavior. The fines addition effectively improves fluidization quality by prioritizing bubble control. Our study delves into the dynamic behavior of these added fines through cold-flow fluidization experiments, employing coarse glass particle (Geldart Group B, 186 μm in diameter) with varying contents of fines (Geldart Group A, 60 μm in diameter). To overcome the challenge of measuring the solid volume fractions of individual components in this bi-disperse system, a novel measurement technology, coupled with an optical fiber probe and signal deflection reconstruction method, is established. This technology could sensitively capture the preferential entry of fines into bubbles, leading to an asymmetric distribution of fines between bubbles and emulsion phase. Furthermore, our proposed flux mode, considering both the capability to maintain mono-disperse phase segregation and the competitive occupation of bi-disperse particles through bubble interface, effectively describes the observed asymmetry.

Dielectric constant measurement sensitivity in electrostatic force and force gradient microscopy-based modes

Understanding the nanoscale electrostatic interaction between a conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe and a dielectric film is central to the operation of various nanoscale dielectric microscopies and determination of dielectric properties of the film. There is no simple analytical description of the electrostatic interaction generated in the confined probe-sample geometry for neither static nor dynamic AFM modes used in dielectric measurements. An accurate description of the involved physics is obtained only by means of a finite element analysis modeling of the system. However, the alternative to using the numerical analysis is not very popular due to being slower and requiring relatively high computation resources. In this work, we revised the contributions from different parts of the AFM probe to the probe-sample capacitance by both analytical and numerical methods. We tried to reconciliate the two approaches and observed the differences as a function of geometry and material parameters. Under various noise levels, the efficiency of an analytical model was tested against a finite element analysis that captures in detail the electrostatic interaction in AFM-based dielectric measurements. The investigation was performed in both spectroscopic force-distance curves and constant height scans with measurements for deflection and frequency of the AFM probe. The obtained measurement sensitivities are relevant in selecting the optimal scanning mode and its operational parameters for a given film thicknesses and dielectric constants but also show the critical role of the numerical analysis to the correct interpretation of the measurements.

Customization of an atomic force microscope for multidimensional measurements under environmental conditions.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an analytical surface characterization tool that reveals the surface topography at a nanometer length scale while probing local chemical, mechanical, and even electronic sample properties. Both contact (performed with a constant deflection of the cantilever probe) and dynamic operation modes (enabled by demodulation of the oscillation signal under tip-sample interaction) can be employed to conduct AFM-based measurements. Although surface topography is accessible regardless of the operation mode, the resolution and the availability of the quantified surface properties depend on the mode of operation. However, advanced imaging techniques, such as frequency modulation, to achieve high resolution, quantitative surface properties are not implemented in many commercial systems. Here, we show the step-by-step customization of an atomic force microscope. The original system was capable of surface topography and basic force spectroscopy measurements while employing environmental control, such as temperature variation of the sample/tip, etc. We upgraded this original setup with additional hardware (e.g., a lock-in amplifier with phase-locked loop capacity, a high-voltage amplifier, and a new controller) and software integration while utilizing its environmental control features. We show the capabilities of the customized system with frequency modulation-based topography experiments and automated voltage and/or distance spectroscopy, time-resolved AFM, and two-dimensional force spectroscopy measurements under ambient conditions. We also illustrate the enhanced stability of the setup with active topography and frequency drift corrections. We believe that our methodology can be useful for the customization and automation of other scanning probe systems.

Mechanical Properties of 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid-Induced Vesicles

The vesicle mechanical behaviors were studied upon its exposure to 3-hydroxybutyric acid using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 3-hydroxybutyric acid were used to manufacture the vesicles at their desired ratio. The deflection of an AFM probe with respect to its displacement was measured after characterizing the vesicle adsorption. The movement was analyzed with the Hertzian model to understand the physical behavior of the vesicles. However, in the deflection just prior to the first penetration, the model was a good fit, and the vesicle mechanical moduli were calculated. The moduli became lower with the higher ratio of 3-hydroxybutyric acid to DPPC, but the moduli were saturated at 0.5 of the ratio. These results appear to be the basis for the function of the metabolism associated with 3-hydroxybutyric acid, i.e., anesthetization and glycemic control, on the physical properties of cell membranes.

Design and characterization of a new microscopy probe using COMSOL and ANSYS

This paper presents the design, simulation, and analysis of different 3D-shapes of scanning near-field optical microscopy probes, allowing the acquisition of both topographic and optical images. The study is conducted using COMSOL and ANSYS simulation tools to study the probe sensitivity and deflection. The simulation calculations of deflection and von Mises stress are denoted, analyzed, and compared based on the change in the probe shapes for the same applied force. The results obtained from the two finite element tools were similar, converged to the same ideal design, and showed the impact of the probe structure on the probe performance.

Coupling error model for the contact probe of a three-dimensional screw thread-measuring machine

Coupling error is an important factor that affects the measurement accuracy of the contact scanning probe of a three-dimensional thread-measuring machine. To address this issue, this paper proposes a coupling error model for contact scanning probes. First, the mechanical structure of the contact scanning probe was introduced, and the main source of its coupling error was analyzed. Second, material mechanics was used to conduct a geometry–force analysis on the guiding mechanism of the probe, thereby establishing a coupling error model. Finally, the experiments were carried out to verify the accuracy of the coupling error model. From the experimental verification, the movement of the measuring head by 10 μm increased the deviation of the probe displacement by 2 μm, indicating the probe deflection. Moreover, the calculated probe deflection angle was consistent with the theoretical value, validating the proposed coupling error model. This method provides an important theoretical basis for the decoupling of measuring probe, thereby improving the accuracy of the probe guiding mechanism.

How to realize an ultrafast electron diffraction experiment with a terahertz pump: A theoretical study

To integrate a terahertz pump into an ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) experiment has attracted much attention due to its potential to initiate and detect the structural dynamics both directly. However, the deflection of the electron probe by the electromagnetic field of the terahertz pump alters the incident angle of the electron probe on the sample, impeding it from recording structural information afterwards. In this article, we studied this issue by a theoretical simulation of the terahertz-induced deflection effect on the electron probe, and came up with several possible schemes to reduce such effect. As a result, a terahertz-pump-electron-probe UED experiment with a temporal resolution comparable to the terahertz period is realized. We also found that MeV UED was more suitable for such terahertz pump experiment.

In‐situ probe spacing calibration improves the heat pulse method for measuring soil heat capacity and water content

AbstractHeat pulse (HP) sensors have been used extensively to measure soil thermal properties and volumetric water content (θ) simultaneously. Probe spacing (R), the distance between heater probe and temperature probe, is routinely calibrated in agar solution before making HP measurements. In reality, R may change due to probe deflection at insertion into soil, causing uncertainties in HP measured volumetric heat capacity (C) and θ. In this paper, we present a simple on‐site calibration method for determining in‐situ R by using theoretical C values estimated from soil bulk density and θ values of intact soil cores collected near the sensor locations at the end of experiment. The proposed approach was tested on two field soils where C and θ were monitored continuously. Inconsistent results were observed between agar‐calibrated R values (Ragar) and R values obtained from in‐situ calibration (Rin‐situ). Maximum difference between Ragar and Rin‐situ reached 20% of Ragar. Compared to TDR measured θ, using Ragar led to root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 0.26 MJ m−3 K−1 in C and 0.06 m3 m−3 in θ on average. For Rin‐situ, the RMSE of C was less than 0.16 MJ m−3 K−1 and RMSE of θ was within 0.04 m3 m−3. Thus, the use of in‐situ probe spacing calibration improved the accuracies of HP measured C and θ.

Rapid characterization of nano-scale structures in large-scale ultra-precision surfaces

Characterizations of nano-scale structures using conventional stylus profilometer and optical microscopy are respectively restricted by tip radius and diffraction limit. Atomic force microscope (AFM) can measure smaller structures but it is difficult and time-consuming to find them in large-scale ultra-precision surfaces. In this paper, a new profilometer for rapid positioning and measurement of nano-scale structures in large-scale ultra-precision surfaces is proposed. A technique based on white light interference is integrated into an AFM to detect probe deflection. The adapted profilometer has two measurement modes: a white light interferometry mode used to find an area of interest, an AFM mode for high-resolution measurement. Using this profilometer, the time of positioning an area of interest can be significantly reduced and the measurement efficiency is thus improved. Furthermore, a tracking measurement method is proposed to improve the measurement range of the AFM mode, which can enhance the measuring ability of the profilometer for complex large-scale surfaces. Experiments demonstrate that the profilometer can quickly positioning nano-scale structures in large-scale surfaces and achieve three-dimensional measurement with nanometer resolution.

Lights Out! Nano-Scale Topography Imaging of Sample Surface in Opaque Liquid Environments with Coated Active Cantilever Probes.

Atomic force microscopy is a powerful topography imaging method used widely in nanoscale metrology and manipulation. A conventional Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) utilizes an optical lever system typically composed of a laser source, lenses and a four quadrant photodetector to amplify and measure the deflection of the cantilever probe. This optical method for deflection sensing limits the capability of AFM to obtaining images in transparent environments only. In addition, tapping mode imaging in liquid environments with transparent sample chamber can be difficult for laser-probe alignment due to multiple different refraction indices of materials. Spurious structure resonance can be excited from piezo actuator excitation. Photothermal actuation resolves the resonance confusion but makes optical setup more complicated. In this paper, we present the design and fabrication method of coated active scanning probes with piezoresistive deflection sensing, thermomechanical actuation and thin photoresist polymer surface coating. The newly developed probes are capable of conducting topography imaging in opaque liquids without the need of an optical system. The selected coating can withstand harsh chemical environments with high acidity (e.g., 35% sulfuric acid). The probes are operated in various opaque liquid environments with a custom designed AFM system to demonstrate the imaging performance. The development of coated active probes opens up possibilities for observing samples in their native environments.

Atomic force microscopy with integrated on-chip interferometric readout

The most common readout technique used in atomic force microscopy (AFM) is based on optical beam deflection (OBD), which relies on monitoring deflection of the cantilever probe by measuring the position of the laser beam reflected from the free end of the AFM cantilever. Although systems using the OBD readout can achieve subnanometre displacement resolution and video rate imaging speeds, its main limitation is size, which is difficult to minimise, thus limiting multiprobe imaging capability. Currently, system miniaturisation has been accommodated by adopting on-chip electrical readout solutions, often at the expense of measurement sensitivity. To date, no cost-effective AFM readout solution exists without sacrificing either measurement sensitivity, system miniaturisation, or multiprobe array scalability.In this paper we present an AFM probe with integrated on-chip optical interferometric readout based on silicon photonics. Our AFM probe combines the advantages of subnanometre resolution of optical readouts with on-chip miniaturisation. The adopted approach determines deflection of the cantilever using an integrated on-chip photonics waveguide by monitoring the separation between the sensing cantilever and an interrogating grating. The implemented methodology provides ultimate interferometric resolution and sensitivity, on-chip miniaturisation, and array scalability, which makes possible ultrafast multiprobe-array AFM imaging.Using a Digital Instruments D3000 AFM retrofitted with our cantilever probe and integrated readout, we report sub-nanometre AFM topography images obtained on reference samples. We demonstrate RMS static AFM noise level of 19 pm, outperforming the operation of this system in its standard, optical beam deflection configuration (51 pm). The noise spectrum measurements of our probe indicate that the integrated readout is shot noise limited, achieving a deflection noise density (DND) of 36fm/Hz.

An in situ probe‐spacing‐correction thermo‐TDR sensor to measure soil water content accurately

SummaryTo reduce the possibility of probe deflections, conventional thermo‐time domain reflectometry (T‐TDR) sensors have relatively short probe lengths (≤4 cm). However, short probes lead to large errors in TDR‐estimated soil water content (θv). In this study, two new 6‐cm‐long probe‐spacing‐correction T‐TDR (CT‐TDR) sensors were investigated. Compared with conventional 4‐cm‐long T‐TDR sensors, the 6‐cm‐long CT‐TDR sensors reduced errors in TDR‐estimated θv. Errors in heat pulse (HP)‐estimated θv because of probe deflections were reduced when linear or nonlinear probe‐spacing‐correction algorithms were implemented. The 6‐cm‐long CT‐TDR sensors provided more accurate θv estimations than do the conventional 4‐cm‐long T‐TDR sensors.Highlights Short thermo‐TDR sensor has shortcomings in determining soil water content. Changes in thermo‐TDR probe spacing caused by deflections can be determined in situ. Correcting changed thermo‐TDR probe spacing determined soil water content accurately. The 6‐cm‐long thermo‐TDR sensors determined soil water content more accurately than 4‐cm‐long sensors.

Simplified Computational Approach for Determining In Situ Probe Spacing of a Dual Probe Heat Pulse Sensor

Core Ideas Probe spacing corrections greatly improve soil thermal property determination. The linear model and the non‐linear model are unified into a single algorithm. The new model simplifies significantly the spacing calculation procedure. For the dual probe heat pulse (DPHP) method, the probe spacing r is very important for the calculation of volumetric heat capacity and thermal diffusivity. Separate models for probe spacing correcting resulting from linear and nonlinear deflections have been reported earlier. In this paper, the linear model and the nonlinear model are unified into a single algorithm. Compared with the earlier models, the new model simplifies the procedure. To use the new model, it is not necessary to calculate a deflected angle, and also there is no longer a need to initially identify whether probe deflection is inward or outward. The new r correcting approach provides an easy way to use relationship that accounts for linear and nonlinear probe deflections.

Improved thermo-time domain reflectometry method for continuous in-situ determination of soil bulk density

Quantifying the dynamics of surface soil bulk density (ρb) is important for characterizing water, heat, and gas exchanges in agricultural and environmental applications. Unfortunately, very few approaches are available for continuous in-situ monitoring of ρb. The soil heat capacity-based (C-based) thermo-time domain reflectometry (thermo-TDR) approach has been used to measure ρb in-situ, but this approach gives ρb estimates with relatively large errors. In this study, we present a new soil thermal conductivity-based (λ-based) thermo-TDR approach for continuous and automatic determination of ρb variation in-situ. An error analysis, literature data, and field experiments were used to evaluate the performance of the C-based and λ-based approaches. The error analysis undertaken on hypothetical soils indicated that the new λ-based approach was less sensitive to errors in the measurement inputs than was the C-based approach when the same relative errors occurred, except on very dry soils. Thermo-TDR measurements reported in the literature on seven soils showed that the new λ-based approach provided more accurate and precise ρb estimates, with coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.70 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.103 Mg m−3, than did the C-based approach which gave ρb with R2 of 0.32 and RMSE of 0.178 Mg m−3. Two field experiments were conducted to test the performance of the new λ-based thermo-TDR approach for monitoring ρb dynamics. The results showed that following tillage surface ρb increased by about 35% within 40 days. The ρb obtained by the λ-based thermo-TDR approach agreed well with independent core sampling measurements, with an average RMSE of 0.122 Mg m−3. The C-based approach failed to give acceptable ρb estimates in most cases because of probe deflection and environmental factors. We conclude that the new λ-based thermo-TDR approach is a promising method for continuous in situ measurements of ρb.

A comparative study on laser induced shock cleaning of radioactive contaminants in air and water

Efficient removal of Uranium-di-oxide (UO2) particulates from stainless steel surface was effected by Nd-YAG laser induced plasma shock waves in air as well as in water environment. The propagation velocity of the generated shock wave was measured by employing the photo-acoustic probe deflection method. Monitoring of the alpha activity of the sample with a ZnS (Ag) scintillation detector before and after the laser exposure allowed the estimation of decontamination efficiency defined as the percentage removal of the initial activity. Experiments were carried out to study the effect of laser pulse energy, number of laser exposures, orientation of the sample, the separation between the substrate surface and the onset point of the shock wave on the de-contamination efficiency. The most optimised cleaning was found to occur when the laser beam impinged normally on the sample that was immersed in water and placed at a distance of ∼0.7 mm from the laser focal spot. Analysis of the cleaned surface by optical microscopes established that laser induced shock cleaning in no way altered the surface property. The shock force generated in both air and water has been estimated theoretically and has been found to exceed the Van der Waal’s binding force for spherical contaminant particulate.

Optical Cooling of CdSe/ZnS Quantum Dots Embedded in PMMA

In 1929, the German physicist Peter Pringsheim proposed that anti-Stokes emission can lead to the cooling of bulk matter. Anti-Stokes emission results in photons of shorter wavelength (higher photon energy) than that of the exciting light due to thermal absorption. In solids, the thermal energy is mostly due to the vibrational modes (phonons) of the lattice. Thus, using lasers to cool a solid, one has to irradiate a sample with laser light in the red tail of the absorption spectrum. The material to be cooled would then absorb a photon and absorb extra energy from a phonon to emit a blue-shifted photon of higher energy. By removing these phonons, the material is cooled. Today, this technique is known as laser cooling of solids or optical refrigeration. It can be used to achieve an all-solid-state cryocooler that is compact, contains no moving parts, has a high reliability, and does not require the use of cryogenic fluids. Laser cooling also allows for the possibility of portable lasers that require no or smaller external cooling systems because the pump wavelength can be adjusted such that spontaneous anti-Stokes luminescence cooling compensates for the stimulated quantum defect heating. A thermally balanced laser such as this would not suffer from thermal defocusing or heat damage; therefore, such solid-state-lasers could achieve higher output powers. Unfortunately, for cooling to occur in solids, the quantum efficiency of the material must be high and nearly all the anti-Stokes luminescence must leave the material without being reabsorbed. Recently, much research has been performed on rare-earth ions for laser cooling. However, the cooling efficiency of rare-earth ions approaches zero as the temperature decreases. As a result, they have a theoretical cooling limit about 90 K. On the other hand, semiconductors provide more efficient pump light absorption, the potential for lower temperatures of 10 K, and the ability to directly integrate the material into electronic and photonic devices. This coupled with the strong electron-phonon coupling of Group II-VI semiconductors and core-shell quantum dot structure minimizing the reabsorption of the anti-Stokes luminescence, makes direct bandgap semiconductors viable laser cooling candidate materials. Owing to the possibility for near-unity quantum efficiency of CdSe/ZnS, we have chosen to investigate CdSe/ZnS quantum dots for laser cooling applications. Recently, we have utilized photothermal deflection techniques to show that CdSe/ZnS can be cooled at a microscopic level. Moreover, we developed a new photothermal technique that is capable of discerning heating or cooling inside a material using nothing but the probe deflection thereby eliminating the need for a Stokes and anti-Stokes laser. Using the information gained from the photothermal results, we have begun to cool CdSe/ZnS polymers. This talk will go over the cooling results as well as our new photothermal technique.

Remote Imaging of the Buried Interface Using AFM-IR

The degradation of corrosion-resistant organic coatings continues to present an analytical challenge to corrosion scientists. This is because failures in corrosion protection are localised events, whereas coating analysis is predominately performed using bulk methodologies (e.g., vibrational spectroscopy, thermal analysis). This is compounded by the paucity of non-destructive techniques capable of detecting and characterising localised coating failure in the early stages (i.e., able to pinpoint the appearance of buried pitting sites, de-adhesion processes or blistering). Ex-situ microscopy has conventionally been used to characterise corrosion phenomena beneath organic coatings. However, physical sectioning precludes meaningful chemical analysis of the polymer at failure sites. Emerging non-destructive approaches that allow direct detection of corrosion at the buried interface include: acoustic microscopy, local electrochemical techniques (e.g. scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, the scanning vibrating electrode and local electrochemical impedance measurements) and can be employed to monitor corrosion of a buried substrate in situ. Whilst these can examine buried corrosion phenomena, little or no information is obtained about the overlying coating. Alternative techniques with improved resolution utilise scanning probe microscopy (SPM) methods (e.g. Kelvin probe force microscopy, KPFM) whilst detailed topographic images of the overlying coating may be simultaneously collected. More recently, SPM has been coupled to vibrational spectroscopy and allows direct nanoscale mapping of functional group chemistry. AFM-IR is a particularly versatile approach, whereby sub-diffraction limit detection of infrared absorbance is achieved by monitoring the deflection of an AFM probe in response to photo-thermal expansion of the sample. During AFM-IR measurements, the sample is illuminated by a rapidly pulsed tuneable infrared source, (an optical parametric oscillator, 10 ns pulses at a repetition rate of 1 KHz.) Upon absorbance of the infrared radiation, transient thermal expansion of the sample induces a contact-mode AFM probe to oscillate at its resonant frequency. A plot of the amplitude of oscillations as a function of infrared wavelength yields spectra that closely match conventional transmission-mode FTIR. Here we examine the degradation of model epoxy-phenolic can coatings on electrolytic chrome-coated steel (ECCS). Substrate materials were mechanically abraded successively to 1200 grit, then polished to 0.25 µm diamond paste to achieve a mirror-like surface finish. Stoichiometric epoxy-phenolic coatings were prepared by adding 1,1,1-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethane to bisphenol-A diglycidyl ether (epoxide equivalent weight 172-176 g mol-1) using tetrabutylphosphonium bromide as catalyst. Coatings were spin-coated onto the substrates at 2000 rpm then cured at 150 °C for 60 min. The final coating thickness was around 7 µm. AFM-IR was performed on a NanoIR2 system (Anasys Instruments). In order to induce corrosion the polished ECCS samples were contaminated by spraying with a saturated sodium chloride solution in ethanol prior to coating. Corrosion was then initiated by placing a droplet of deionised water on the coating surface for 5 minutes, after which it was dried. Examination of the sample by optical microscopy subsequently revealed isolated patches of underfilm discolouration discernible through the coating (a). However, no corresponding change in the coating morphology was observed in AFM height images (b), and infrared amplitude maps obtained at 1260 cm-1 (c) and 1604 cm-1 (d) also remained featureless, indicating that significant deformation of the coating had not taken place. In contrast, infrared maps gathered at 916 cm-1 (e) and 1800 cm-1(f) showed an enhanced signal at the locus of discolouration. Preliminary results using AFM-IR mapping has been shown to detect the steel-polymer interface buried beneath an epoxy-phenolic coating. Generated infrared absorbance maps are sensitive to the substrate composition and morphology, opening up a new avenue for the detection of buried corrosion phenomena. Detection of the interface is dependent upon both the wavelength and power of incident infrared illumination. This is a result of the variable penetration depth of the radiation, in turn dependent on the infrared wavelength and laser power employed. Thus, judicious selection of infrared parameters permits the selective probing of the infrared absorbance of the coating alone, or a combination coating heterogeneity and interfacial reflectance. Figure 1

Towards a traceable probe calibration method for white light interference based AFM

Probe calibration is the basis of accurate atomic force microscope (AFM) measurement. In white light interference based AFM (WLI-AFM), the relationship between the vertical displacement of probe and the position of the interference fringes on probe cantilever should be calibrated for accurate measurement. In this paper, a traceable probe calibration method for WLI-AFM is proposed. A high resolution displacement measurement system based on laser interference is constructed to obtain the vertical displacement of probe with high accuracy. This system is used for standard displacement input for calibration and makes the measurement result traceable to optical wavelength. A zero-order fringe positioning algorithm is presented to determine the position of the interference fringes on probe cantilever. A probe deflection model is established for the calibration relationship which is continuous and can be used for measurement. While calibration is conducted, series of zero-order fringe positions are obtained corresponding to the probe displacement inputs. The data are processed by the probe deflection model to obtain the calibration relationship. The proposed method is applied in a self-developed WLI-AFM. It is verified that the accuracy of the method is higher than the previous methods by certain experiments on this WLI-AFM.

Impact of environmental conditions on the reliability of MEMS components from optical applications

The reliability design and the lifetime of MEMS from optical applications is strongly dependent on the operating conditions. In optical devices an additional stress is introduced by the temperature gradient appearing during operation. The thermal stress introduced in the structure modifies the component response and its lifetime. The investigated sample is a micromirror fabricated from gold using the MEMS technologies and tested by an atomic force microscope. The scope is to analyse the temperature and relative humidity influence on the mechanical and tribological behaviours. Using a mechanical force given by the bending deflection and stiffness of the AFM probe, the dependence between the applied force and the micromirror deformation is monitored as a function of temperature. By increasing the temperature of structures the stiffness decreases based on the thermal relaxation of the material. If the relative humidity increases the adhesion between the micromirror and substrate is improved based on the capillarity effect. The results obtained are useful to MEMS designers who can predict the micromirror response as a function of the operating conditions with influence on the actuation energy, the accuracy in response and the system lifetime.