Open AccessElectrochemical etching of lightweight nanotips for high quality‐factor quartz tuning fork force sensor: atomic force microscopy applications
Author(s) -
Hussain Danish,
Song Jianmin,
Zhang Hao,
Meng Xianghe,
Xie Hui
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mnl.2017.0924
Subject(s) - materials science , fabrication , tuning fork , tungsten , etching (microfabrication) , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , coating , grating , nanolithography , q factor , resonator , vibration , acoustics , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , layer (electronics) , metallurgy
Commercially available quartz tuning forks (QTFs) can be transformed into self‐sensing and actuating force sensors by micro‐assembling a sharp tip on the apex of a tine. Mass of the tip is critical in determining the quality (Q)‐factor of the sensor, therefore, fabrication of the lightweight nanotips is a precondition for high Q‐factor QTF sensors. The work reports fabrication of very lightweight tungsten nanotips with a two‐step electrochemical etching technique which can be used to develop high Q‐factor QTF force sensor. First, a tungsten wire with protective coating at one end (1–2 mm) is etched with a trapezoidal waveform to form a lengthy (∼2–5 mm) and slender (diameter ∼10–40 μm) micro‐needle. In the second step, sharp tip apex is fabricated with a direct current etching. High Q‐factor (6600–8000) QTF force sensors have been developed with the fabricated nanotips. Atomic force microscope scanning of nano‐grating and a triblock copolymer surface validates the scanning performance of the developed sensors.