High Speed Atomic Force Microscope

Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is now a common tool for material analysis in the academic and industrial areas because it enables non-destructive high-resolution images of nanometric objects. However, a main drawback is the slow scan rate that hinders many potential applications. Recently, breakthroughs have been achieved in AFM sensors based on MEMS technology, allowing to extend AFM operation in terms of measurement bandwidth and data acquisition. The present work focusses on developing an electronic controller for AFM featuring the wide bandwidth and the fast data processing rate required to enable the exploitation of the full potential of MEMS AFM sensors.