Spatial flexure elements in a compliant motion stage

2D flexure elements fulfil a pivotal role in the field of precision positioning systems as they do not suffer from backlash, friction or play and exhibit highly repeatable behaviour. However, planar building blocks are characterized by a limited design space as the majority of the flexure elements are flat and straight. In this thesis, it is...

Detection of Tip-Sample Interaction in Atomic Force Microscopy: Improving the Image Resolution

Currently used imaging methods in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) including the use of a Lock-In Amplifier or a Phase-Locked Loop, are suboptimal. In this report, the image resolution in AFM is improved by detecting the tip-sample interaction using complete measurements of the input of the cantilever and its measured deflection. Two methods are...