Investigation of MEMS force sensors for nano-scale water measurements

Nanoscale water formed by capillary condensation has typically been studied by means of an atomic force microscope (AFM). While this approach can provide details about the dynamic visco-elastic properties, it is limited in the type of information that can be measured. Here we propose replacing the fixed sample surface generally used in AFM systems with movable micro-mechanical force sensors (MEMS) fabricated specifically for tapping mode or shear mode. By incorporating a MEMS device we can directly measure the adhesion force, pull-in distance and capillary force of nano confined water while the AFM collects information pertaining to the dynamic visco-elastic properties. In this talk, we will characterize the force measurement in the system and discuss the behavior of the device in the presence of nano-scale water.