Characterization and Optimization of Quartz Tuning Fork-Based Force Sensors for Combined STM/AFM

  • Andres Castellanos-Gomez
  • Nicolás Agraït
  • Gabino Rubio-Bollinger
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the NanoScience and Technology book series (NANO)

Abstract

This chapter will be divided in two main parts. In the first one, we will show a detailed analysis of the dynamics of quartz tuning fork resonators which are being increasingly used in scanning probe microscopy as force sensors. We will also show that a coupled harmonic oscillators model, which includes a finite coupling between the prongs, is in remarkable agreement with the observed motion of the tuning forks. Relevant parameters for the tuning fork performance such as the effective spring constant can be obtained from our analysis. In the second one, we will present an implementation of a quartz tuning fork supplemented with optimized tips based on carbon fibers. The remarkable electrical and mechanical properties of carbon fiber make these tips more suitable for combined and/or simultaneous STM and AFM than conventional metallic tips. The fabrication and the characterization of these carbon fiber tips as well as their performance in STM/AFM will be detailed.

Keywords

Carbon Fiber Scanning Tunneling Microscope Tuning Fork Force Gradient Quartz Tuning Fork 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Acknowledgements

A.C-G. acknowledges fellowship support from the Comunidad de Madrid (Spain). This work was supported by MICINN (Spain) (MAT2008-01735, MAT2011-25046 and Consolider-Ingenio-2010 CSD-2007-00010) and Comunidad de Madrid (Spain) through the program Citecnomik (S_0505/ESP/0337).

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  • Andres Castellanos-Gomez
    • 1
  • Nicolás Agraït
    • 2
  • Gabino Rubio-Bollinger
    • 2
  1. 1.Kavli Institute of NanoscienceDelft University of TechnologyDelftthe Netherlands
  2. 2.Facultad de Ciencias, Dpto. Física de la Materia Condensada (C-III), Lab. 201MadridSpain

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