Akrami Seyed Mohammad Reza, Miyata Kazuki, Asakawa Hitoshi, Fukuma Takeshi
Division of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
Bio-AFM Frontier Research Center, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2014 Dec;85(12):126106. doi: 10.1063/1.4904029.
High-speed atomic force microscopy has attracted much attention due to its unique capability of visualizing nanoscale dynamic processes at a solid/liquid interface. However, its usability and resolution have yet to be improved. As one of the solutions for this issue, here we present a design of a high-speed Z-tip scanner with screw holding mechanism. We perform detailed comparison between designs with different actuator size and screw arrangement by finite element analysis. Based on the design giving the best performance, we have developed a Z tip scanner and measured its performance. The measured frequency response of the scanner shows a flat response up to ∼10 kHz. This high frequency response allows us to achieve wideband tip-sample distance regulation. We demonstrate the applicability of the scanner to high-speed atomic-resolution imaging by visualizing atomic-scale calcite crystal dissolution process in water at 2 s/frame.
高速原子力显微镜因其在固/液界面可视化纳米级动态过程的独特能力而备受关注。然而，其可用性和分辨率仍有待提高。作为解决这一问题的方案之一，我们在此展示一种具有螺杆固定机构的高速Z轴探针扫描仪的设计。我们通过有限元分析对不同致动器尺寸和螺杆排列的设计进行了详细比较。基于性能最佳的设计，我们开发了一种Z轴探针扫描仪并测量了其性能。扫描仪测得的频率响应在高达约10 kHz时显示出平坦响应。这种高频响应使我们能够实现宽带的探针-样品距离调节。我们通过以2帧/秒的速度可视化水中原子尺度方解石晶体的溶解过程，证明了该扫描仪在高速原子分辨率成像中的适用性。
