General description
The Scanning Probe Microscopy, Nanostructures and Nanometrology laboratory was founded at the Faculty of MicroSystem Electronics and Photonics of Wroclaw University of Technology (WUT) in 1995. The laboratory of Scanning Probe Microscopy, Nanostructures and Nanometrology group is 2 assistant Professors, 2 PhD Students, 10 Diploma Students strong. The main research equipment includes 5 homebuilt scanning probe microscopes, basic measurement equipment (e.g. digital oscilloscopes, multimeters, and Lock-ln amplifiers), optical fibre technology instruments, systems for measurement of force and displacement in MNEMS. The Scanning probe microscopy, nanostructures and nanometrology laboratory at WUT main scientific interest concerns:
• Investigation of micro- and nanostructures using modular scanning probe microscopy methods. The developed at the Wroclaw University of Technology modular measurement system are applied in measurement of mechanical, electrical and thermal surface properties. In performed investigations we detect the microtip deflection in subnanometer scale with the position sensitive, interferometer, piezoresitive and piezoelectric (tuning fork) detectors.
• Design and analysis of microsystem near field sensor. The scientific task is connected with optimalization of measurements sensitivity and enhancement of near-field investigation resolution.
• Development and application of optical fibre sensors for deflection measurements of micro- and nanostructures. The goal of research is to develop the measurement technique which enables characterization of mechanical thin film properties. The developed measurement method enables detection of piezoactuator deflection with the resolution of 30 nm in the bandwidth of 100Hz.
• Software engineering for modular scanning probe microscopy. The aim of this activity is to develop software enabling the control of the surface measurement process with the modular scanning probe microscope. Simultaneously we designed the software for image processing, which enables advanced image analysis including e.g. 2-FFT routines, 3D- and 2D-visualization and procedures for image levelling. The developed software packages enable controlling and data acquisition from DSP boards.
• Development of precision analog and control electronics for nanometrology systems. The research activity is connected with the design and prototyping of low-noise input amplifiers, high-voltage piezoactuator control electronics, selective filters, PID controllers, laser drivers and controllers for thermoelectric coolers.
• Calibration of microsystem force and displacement sensors. The precise technique enabling calibration of the piezoresistive force and displacement sensors with accuracy of 5% was developed at the Wroclaw University of Technology. This technique includes characterization of piezoelectric actuators, design of mechanical sensor stage, characterization of mechanical cantilever parametere based on the investigation of resonance sensor properties.
• Calibration of piezoelectric actuator using fibre interferometry. The investigations of quantitative near-field interactions between the microtip and surface in scanning probe microscopy requires the exact knowledge of the piezoactuator deflection. In our experiments we apply the interferometric techniques for characterization of the mechanical behaviour of the applied actuation stages in XYZ planes.
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