Department of Applied Physics

The dominant theme of our research over the past decade has been the development and application of Scanning Probes Microscopes. We use MEMS technology and micromachining to fabricate various form of cantilevers with integrated sensors and actuators. These instruments are capable of resolving atomic structure when operating in a vacuum, but primarily they are used in ambient atmosphere to image nanoscale structures. In our current program we are using these instruments to fabricate nanoscale devices. In a parallel theme we are employing these tools to study properties of biological molecules.