An AFM system with multi-mode scanning for large-area measurement

A novel atomic force microscope (AFM) system was constructed based on an air slide, an air spindle and a probe unit. It can carry out high-speed and large-area measurement for micro-structure surface with three scanning strategies of radial scanning, concentric scanning and spiral scanning. Using the AFM system, the micro-structure surface of a grating was measured with these scanning strategies. The measuring capability of them was researched by the experiment and the three measuring results were contrasted. The results show: compared with the other two scanning strategies, the spiral scanning mode can bring the best measuring image of the micro-structure profile, and it also spend the shortest time, it is only 50 seconds to finish scanning an circular area with 1 mm diameter.