Precise atomic force microscope cantilever spring constant calibration using a reference cantilever array
Authors:
- 1 August 2007
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Review of Scientific Instruments
- Vol. 78 (8) , 086101
Abstract
A method for calibrating the stiffness of atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers is demonstrated using an array of uniform microfabricated reference cantilevers. A series of force-displacement curves was obtained using a commercial AFM test cantilever on the reference cantilever array, and the data were analyzed using an implied Euler-Bernoulli model to extract the test cantilever spring constant from linear regression fitting. The method offers a factor of 5 improvement over the precision of the usual reference cantilever calibration method and, when combined with the Système International traceability potential of the cantilever array, can provide very accurate spring constant calibrations.Keywords
This publication has 11 references indexed in Scilit:
- Prototype cantilevers for SI-traceable nanonewton force calibrationMeasurement Science and Technology, 2006
- Normal and torsional spring constants of atomic force microscope cantileversReview of Scientific Instruments, 2004
- Comparison of calibration methods for atomic-force microscopy cantileversNanotechnology, 2002
- Measuring the spring constant of atomic force microscope cantilevers: thermal fluctuations and other methodsNanotechnology, 2001
- Calibration of rectangular atomic force microscope cantileversReview of Scientific Instruments, 1999
- Determination of the spring constants of probes for force microscopy/spectroscopyNanotechnology, 1996
- A method for determining the spring constant of cantilevers for atomic force microscopyMeasurement Science and Technology, 1996
- Calculation of thermal noise in atomic force microscopyNanotechnology, 1995
- Calibration of atomic-force microscope tipsReview of Scientific Instruments, 1993
- A nondestructive method for determining the spring constant of cantilevers for scanning force microscopyReview of Scientific Instruments, 1993