Abstract
This paper investigates modeling and control issues associated with an atomic force microscope which uses a piezoelectric tuning fork for atomic force sensing. In the modeling part, the dynamics of piezoelectric tuning fork and its atomic interaction with the test sample via the scanning tip are physically characterized. The modeling results explain not only the atomic force sensing mechanism but also the important characteristics observed in experimental frequency responses. In the control part, an LTR controller is designed to maximize the controller bandwidth and yet maintain robustness against unmodeled dynamics and different operating conditions. Scanning results indicate that the LTR controller exhibits superior performance than a conventional PI controller. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.