TITLE:
The Use of Light Diffracted from Grating Etched onto the Backside Surface of an Atomic Force Microscope Cantilever Increases the Force Sensitivity
AUTHORS:
Sergey K. Sekatskii, Mounir Mensi, Andrey G. Mikhaylov, Giovanni Dietler
KEYWORDS:
Atomic Force Microscopy; Force Measurement Sensitivity; Diffraction Grating
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Surface Engineered Materials and Advanced Technology,
Vol.3 No.4A,
October
22,
2013
ABSTRACT: A reflecting diffraction grating has
been etched onto the backside of a standard cantilever for atomic force
microscopy, and the diffracted light has been used to monitor the angular
position of the cantilever. It is shown experimentally that for small angles of
incidence and for large reflection angles, the force sensitivity can be
improved by few times when an appropriate detection scheme based on the
position sensitive (duolateral) detector is used. The first demonstration was
performed with a one micron period amplitude diffraction grating onto the
backside of an Al-coated cantilever etched by a focused ion beam milling for
the experiments in air and an analogous 600 nm-period grating for the
experiments in air and in water.