A NOVEL PLATE-LIKE SENSOR UTILIZING CURVATURE-BASED STIFFENING FOR NANOMETROLOGY APPLICATIONS

In this study, we propose a novel plate-like sensor which utilizes curvature-based stiffening effects for enhanced nanometrology. In the proposed concept, the stiffness and natural frequencies of the sensor can be arbitrarily adjusted by applying a transverse curvature via piezoelectric actuators, thereby enabling resonance amplification over a broad range of frequencies. The concept is validated using a macroscale experiment. Then, a microscale finite element analysis is used to study the effect of applied curvature on the microplate static stiffness and natural frequencies. We show that imposed transverse curvature is an effective way to tune the in-situ static stiffness and natural frequencies of the plate sensor system. These findings will form the basis of future curvature-based stiffening microscale studies for novel scenarios in atomic force microscopy.