Nanoscale resolution microchannel flow velocimetry by atomic force microscopy

The velocity of a microchannel flow was determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) using a 50nm wide “whisker,” which was partially submerged and scanned transverse to the flow while drag was recorded. A peaked, near parabolic, flow velocity profile was found. Particle image velocity (PIV) measurements using 70nm diameter quantum-dot-coated polystyrene spheres confirmed the shape of the AFM-measured velocity profile. AFM-based nanometer resolution velocimetry confirms that the drag-velocity relationship for the whisker remains consistent over a wide range of shear values and appears to successfully resolve submicron scale flows, which are beyond the limits of conventional PIV measurements.