Functional microcantilever for a novel scanning force microscope

This paper presents a novel scanning probe microscope that is combined with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer for analyzing material properties of solid surfaces. Chemical analysis on the nanometer scale is achieved by transferring material from surfaces via the probing tip to the mass spectrometer under. an ultrahigh vacuum condition. The instrument based on a rotatable probe holder or an actuator-integrated microcantilever allows quasi-simultaneous topographical and chemical analyses of solid surfaces to be performed in the same way as with the conventional scanning probe technique. The basic characteristics of the instrument are evaluated using the motorized rotatable probe holder and electrochemically etched tungsten tips. A Further increase of the switching speed between the scanning probe and mass analysis operation is realized by using the functional micro cantilever, instead of a motorized rotatable holder.