Laura Butler Biedermann

US Patent:

20100257643, Oct 7, 2010

Filed:

Feb 19, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/709118

Inventors:

Ronald Reifenberger - Lafayette IN, US
Arvind Raman - West Lafayette IN, US
Laura Butler Biedermann - Albuquerque NM, US
Mehdi M. Yazdanpanah - Louisville KY, US

Assignee:

UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. - Louisville KY
PURDUE RESEARCH FOUNDATION - West Lafayette IN

International Classification:

G01Q 60/24

US Classification:

850 6, 850 33

Abstract:

A preferred embodiment of the invention provides an ultra-soft atomic force microscope device that has a nanoneedle cantilever that terminates in a smaller diameter nanofiber tip. Deflection of the nanoneedle cantilever is measured directly by a laser Doppler vibrometer. The invention simultaneously provides a very low mass nanoneedle cantilever arm with a very small diameter nanofiber tip, while being able to image the vibration and displacement. An AFM device of the invention simultaneously provides a ultra low mass and soft cantilever, the ability to accurately and directly measure vibration and deflection of the very small diameter nanoneedle cantilever with the laser Doppler vibrometer, and a sharp nanofiber tip that provides sub nanometer resolution.