Most biologists think that AFM has only a limited use in biological research due to its inability to study other than surface structures. Therefore, a BIO-AFM system has been developed to combine both AFM imaging and fluorescence detection, which acts as a powerful tool for a better understanding of dynamic cell processes. In this study, based on a custom-made BIO-AFM system, the elasticity and...

Real-time detection of low-concentration pathogenic/ toxic bioparticles is important for deterring infectious diseases and bioterrorism, which is difficult to achieve for lab-on-a-chip. Currently, sensitivity is achieved through time-consuming culturing or sophisticated processing, often unfeasible under field conditions. Real-time particle enrichment will improve sensor capability. This paper ...

We consider the effects of a velocity-independent friction force on cantilever damping. It is shown that this dissipation mechanism causes nonlinear effects in the cantilever vibrations. The size of the nonlinear-ity increases with decreasing cantilever velocity. Our analysis makes it possible to understand Stipe's et al. [1] experiments where an amplitude dependence of the cantilever eigenfreq...

It is shown that the energy harvesting capabilities of a piezoelectric cantilever can be enhanced through coupling to a static magnetic field. A permanent magnet is fixed to the end of a piezoelectric cantilever, causing it to experience a non-linear force as it moves with respect to a stationary magnet. The magnetically coupled cantilever responds to vibration over a much broader frequency ran...

A working model has been developed which can be used to significantly increase the accuracy of cantilever deflection measurements using optical beam techniques (used in cantilever-based sensors and atomic force microscopes), while simultaneously simplifying their use. By using elementary geometric optics and standard vector analysis it is possible, without any fitted or adjustable parameters, t...

The vibration behavior of an atomic force microscope [AFM] cantilever with a crack during the nanomachining process is studied. The cantilever is divided into two segments by the crack, and a rotational spring is used to simulate the crack. The two individual governing equations of transverse vibration for the cracked cantilever can be expressed. However, the corresponding boundary conditions a...

Interferometric displacement detection in a cantilever-based non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM) operated in ultra-high vacuum is demonstrated for the Michelson and Fabry-Pérot modes of operation. Each mode is addressed by appropriately adjusting the distance between the fiber end delivering and collecting light and a highly reflective micro-cantilever, both together forming the interf...

Piezoelectric cantilevers have been in great demand in sensor and actuator applications. The tip displacement of the cantilever is the most important and sensitive parameter in the actuation mode. Hence, in this study a bimorph cantilever beam has been chosen as the element of study consisting of two active piezoelectric layers of PVDF bonded together. An attempt has been made to establish the ...

We demonstrate a new sensitive biosensor for detection of vital fungal spores of Aspergillus niger. The biosensor is based on silicon microfabricated cantilever arrays operated in dynamic mode. The change in resonance frequency of the sensor is a function of mass binding to the cantilever surface. For specific A. niger spore immobilization on the cantilever, each cantilever was individually coa...