Independent detection of vertical and lateral forces with a sidewall-implanted dual-axis piezoresistive cantilever

A dual-axis atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever with independent piezoresistive sensors has been developed for simultaneous detection of vertical and lateral forces. The cantilever consists of a flat, triangular probe connected to a base by four tall, narrow ribs. The vertically compliant triangular probe and the laterally compliant ribs incorporate separate piezoresistors for vertical and lateral force sensing. In the fabrication process, a special oblique ion implant technique is used to produce electrical elements on vertical sidewalls and horizontal surfaces of the cantilever structure at the same time. The dual-axis cantilever has been used to perform microfriction measurements as well as obtain simultaneous vertical-force and lateral-force AFM images. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.