Research on the Sensing Performance of the Tuning Fork-Probe as a Micro Interaction Sensor

Abstract

The shear force position system has been widely used in scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) and recently extended into the force sensing area. The dynamic properties of a tuning fork (TF), the core component of this system, directly determine the sensing performance of the shear positioning system. Here, we combine experimental results and finite element method (FEM) analysis to investigate the dynamic behavior of the TF probe assembled structure (TF-probe). Results from experiments under varying atmospheric pressures illustrate that the oscillation amplitude of the TF-probe is linearly related to the quality factor, suggesting that decreasing the pressure will dramatically increase the quality factor. The results from FEM analysis reveal the influences of various parameters on the resonant performance of the TF-probe. We compared numerical results of the frequency spectrum with the experimental data collected by our recently developed laser Doppler vibrometer system. Then, we investigated the parameters affecting spatial resolution of the SNOM and the dynamic response of the TF-probe under longitudinal and transverse interactions. It is found that the interactions in transverse direction is much more sensitive than that in the longitudinal direction. Finally, the TF-probe was used to measure the friction coefficient of a silica–silica interface.

Sensing Performance Analysis on Quartz Tuning Fork-Probe at the High Order Vibration Mode for Multi-Frequency Scanning Probe Microscopy

“…A tungsten wire and glass fiber probe are chosen as the probe to sense the force, while the prong and probe are connected by the epoxy glue. The material parameters of the QTF and the probe are provided in Table 1 along with references to previous work [ 28 , 30 , 34 , 35 ].…”

“…Omur et al [ 28 , 29 ] investigated the optimization of qPlus sensor assemblies based on FEM. Recently, Gao and Li [ 30 ] discussed the effects of various parameters on the resonance frequency and quality factor of the QTF-p by combining the experimental and FEM analyses. In short, much achievements on investigation of the dynamic behavior of the QTF-p at the low mode have been obtained.…”

Contributed Review: Quartz force sensing probes for micro-applications

“…The electrical and piezo-mechanical properties of QTFs have thus been the subject of much study. [31][32][33] Amidst the many options for the evaluation of this effective spring constant, 27 the Cleveland or thermal noise methods, which give experimental results, are due to their technical requirements often overlooked in favour of geometrical estimations based on mechanical models. 34 Unlike cantilevers, though, QTFs do not simply lend themselves to the application of a classical fixed beam model, due to the presence of two prongs, the role of the electrodes, and the uncertainty as to what would constitute the effective length of the prong (Fig.…”

Laterally Driven Resonant Pressure Sensor with Etched Silicon Dual Diaphragms and Combined Beams

“…As is well known, a diaphragm, which has been widely used in capacitive and piezoresistive pressure sensors, is the most common sensing element. A resonator with a high quality factor (Q-factor) [ 7 ], whose resonant frequency is changed with the beam internal stress, is used as a pressure transition element.…”