Design of a compact serial-kinematic scanner for high-speed atomic force microscopy: an analytical approach

A systematic procedure for designing a high-speed, compact serial-kinematic XYZ scanner for atomic force microscopy is presented in this Letter. Analytical stiffness calculations are used to estimate the first natural frequency and travel range of the scanner. Design and characterisation of the scanner are presented. Results of finite-element analysis and experimentation on the scanner revealed natural frequencies of 10, 7.5 and 64 kHz for X, Y and Z stages, respectively. Maximum travel range of 8, 6 and 2 mm were measured along x, y and z directions. Performance evaluations were conducted by implementing the scanner in a commercial atomic force microscope. Images of a 6 x 4.5 mu m area of a calibration grating were captured at line rates of 10, 50, 78, 100, 120 and 150 Hz with 256 x 256 pixel resolution. Limitations in design and suggestions for improvement of the scanner performance are discussed.