Design and implementation of a novel horizontal AFM probe utilizing a quartz tuning fork

This paper presents a new structure of a novel horizontal atomic force microscope probe utilizing a quartz tuning fork. The horizontal structure exhibits high resistance to environmental noise, and thus the probe can maintain good stability throughout the imaging work. The quartz tuning fork, which is utilized as a force sensor due to its simple mechanical structure and self-actuating and self-sensing characteristics, can significantly simplify the mechanical structure of the probe. The probe is divided into three parts: an approximation device, a force sensor, and a three-dimensional scanner. Each part is carefully designed to guarantee the imaging performance. It is verified that the proposed horizontal AFM probe is stable by conducting finite-element analysis, including modal analysis and noise analysis. Furthermore, the probe is fabricated and the experiments are performed to verify its stability. The proposed horizontal AFM probe combined with the existing control system in the frequency modulation succeeds in imaging within 25 μm × 25 μm and 20 μm × 20 μm ranges stably.