Open AccessA nanopositioner for scanning probe microscopy: The KoalaDrive
Author(s) -
Vasily Cherepanov,
Peter Coenen,
Bert Voigtländer
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
review of scientific instruments
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.605
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1089-7623
pISSN - 0034-6748
DOI - 10.1063/1.3681444
Subject(s) - scanning tunneling microscope , sawtooth wave , scanning probe microscopy , materials science , scanning force microscopy , scanning ion conductance microscopy , piezoelectricity , microscopy , optics , microscope , tube (container) , vibrational analysis with scanning probe microscopy , scanning confocal electron microscopy , nanotechnology , physics , atomic force microscopy , computer science , composite material , computer vision
We present a new type of piezoelectric nanopositioner called KoalaDrive which can have a diameter less than 2.5 mm and a length smaller than 10 mm. The new operating principle provides a smooth travel sequence and avoids shaking which is intrinsic to nanopositioners based on inertial motion with sawtooth driving signals. In scanning probe microscopy, the KoalaDrive can be used for the coarse approach of the tip or sensor towards the sample. Inserting the KoalaDrive in a piezo tube for xyz-scanning integrates a complete scanning tunneling microscope (STM) inside a 4 mm outer diameter piezo tube of <10 mm length. The use of the KoalaDrive makes the scanning probe microscopy design ultracompact and accordingly leads to a high mechanical stability. The drive is UHV, low temperature, and magnetic field compatible. The compactness of the KoalaDrive allows building a multi-tip STM as small as a single tip STM
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