A novel serial-kinematic AFM scanner: Design and characterization

Design and characterization of a novel monolithic serial-kinematic XYZ nanopositioner stage with a fixed-free configuration for high-speed Atomic Force Microscopy is presented in this article. The objective is to develop a compact serial-kinematic AFM scanner for high-speed imaging. A design methodology based on the analytical stiffness calculations to determine optimum range and natural frequency of the scanner is presented. Finite Element Analysis and experimental results showed that the lowest natural frequencies in X, Y and Z-stages are 10 kHz, 7.5 kHz and 64 kHz respectively. The range of the scanner in the x-direction is 8 µm, in the y-direction is 6 µm and in the z-direction is 2 µm. The performance of the nanopositioning stage was evaluated by scanning 6 µm × 4.5 µm area of a calibration grating at line rates of 10 Hz, 50 Hz, 78 Hz, 100 Hz, 120 Hz, 150 Hz with 256×256 pixel resolution. Shortcomings of the design and remedies for the improvement of the stage performance are also discussed.