D. Scholl et al., IN-SITU FORCE CALIBRATION OF HIGH FORCE-CONSTANT ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPE CANTILEVERS, Review of scientific instruments, 65(7), 1994, pp. 2255-2257
A miniature capacitive force sensor which fits in the sample position
of an atomic force microscope (AFM) has been used to calibrate the for
ce applied by the scanning tip during nanohardness measurements. The s
ensor is simple, physically robust, and easily fabricated from readily
available materials. It can be operated with commonly available elect
ronic instrumentation. The device described here is optimized for tip-
sample forces between 10(-4) and 10(-2) N, a range useful for micromet
er-scale mechanical modification of surfaces. With minor design change
s, sensors of this general type should be capable of much greater sens
itivity. The sensor is calibrated outside the AFM by the application o
f free weights. Calculated estimates of AFM cantilever force constants
are difficult for all but the simplest geometries and may rely on unc
ertain values for certain critical dimensions and material properties.
These estimates can thereby be replaced by a simple and direct measur
ement.