Journal of Vibration and Sound

Journal of Vibration and Sound

Developing a Macro-Scale Amplitude-Modulation Atomic Force Microscope

Document Type : research article

Authors
School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study presents the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a macro-scale atomic force microscope (AFM) aimed at providing a low-cost platform for educational and research applications. Unlike conventional atomic force microscopes, the proposed system does not employ a piezoelectric actuator or an optical sensor. Instead, simultaneous self-sensing and self-actuation are achieved through the interaction between a moving magnet and a coil based on the Hall effect. In this system, a cantilever beam, coil, and magnet are employed to generate and control the beam vibrations in amplitude-modulation mode. The mechanical and electromagnetic components of the system are designed using numerical analysis and simulation, followed by fabrication of a laboratory-scale prototype. After dynamic characterization of the system, an integral controller is implemented on an Arduino development board. The developed microscope is then calibrated using a reference sample, and its performance is evaluated through surface topography imaging. The results demonstrate that the microscope can detect surface variations with a lateral resolution of 1.1 mm and a vertical resolution of 0.2 mm. The findings indicate that, despite its low fabrication cost and simple structure, the proposed system provides a suitable platform for educational purposes, development of control methods, and further improvement of future generations of atomic force microscopes.
Keywords
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 September 2026