Method of measuring an interaction force

1. A method of measuring an interaction force comprising:

providing a microelectromechanical transducer comprising:

a body;

a probe moveable relative to the body; and

a micromachined comb drive including a differential capacitive displacement sensor to provide a sensor output signal representative of an interaction force on the probe, the differential capacitive displacement sensor including a plurality of sensing capacitors, each sensing capacitor comprising a plurality of comb capacitors and each configured to provide capacitance levels which, together, are representative of a position of the probe, wherein each of the comb capacitors of the sensing capacitors includes a fixed electrode comb coupled to the body and a moveable electrode comb coupled to the probe, the interaction force defined as an attractive force or an adhesive force;

moving the probe relative to a sample surface; and

determining the interaction force between the probe and the sample surface using the sensor output, as the probe is moved relative to the sample surface and out of contact with the sample surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction force is one of an electrostatic force, a van der waals force, a magnetic force or a capillary force.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the probe towards the sample surface in a direction normal to the sample surface; and determining a first interaction force at the sample surface as the probe moves toward the sample surface but is out of contact with the sample surface.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising performing an indentation on the sample surface.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising moving the probe in a direction away from the sample surface; and determining a second interaction force as the probe is moving away from the sample surface and is out of contact with the sample surface.

6. The method of claim 1 , where moving the probe relative to the sample surface further comprises:

contacting the sample surface with the probe;

moving the probe away from the sample surface; and determining the interaction force as the probe is moved away from the sample surface but not in contact with the sample surface.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein contacting the sample surface with the probe further comprises applying a force normal to the surface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the probe includes an indenter tip.

9. A method of measuring an interaction force comprising:

providing a micro electromechanical transducer comprising:

a body;

a probe moveable relative to the body; and

a micromachined comb drive including:

an electrostatic actuator capacitor to move the probe and apply force on a sample; and

a differential capacitive displacement sensor to provide a sensor output signal representative of an interfacial interaction force on the probe, the interaction force defined as an attractive force or an adhesive force;

moving the probe relative to a sample surface; and

determining the interaction force between the probe and the sample surface using the sensor output, as the probe is moved relative to the sample surface and is out of contact with the sample surface.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the interaction force is one of an electrostatic force, a van der waals force, a magnetic force or a capillary force.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising moving the probe towards the sample surface in a direction normal to the sample surface.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising performing an indentation on the sample surface; and determining a first attractive force on the sample surface as the probe is moved towards the sample surface and out of contact with the sample surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising moving the probe in a direction away from the sample surface; and determining a second attractive force on the sample surface as the probe is moved in a direction away from the sample surface and out of contact with the sample surface.

14. The method of claim 9 , where moving the probe relative to the sample surface further comprises:

contacting the sample surface with the probe; and

moving the probe away from the sample surface.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein contacting the sample surface with the probe further comprises applying a force in a direction normal to the surface.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrostatic actuator capacitor comprises a plurality of comb capacitors configured to drive the probe, along a displacement axis, including in a direction substantially normal to the sample surface, upon application of a bias voltage to the actuation capacitor.

17. A method of testing a material sample comprising:

using a microelectromechanical nanoindenter transducer comprising:

a body;

a probe having a tip moveable relative to the body;

a micromachined comb drive including:

an electrostatic actuator capacitor comprising a plurality of comb capacitors configured to drive the probe, together with the tip, along a displacement axis, upon application of a bias voltage to the actuator capacitor; and

a differential capacitor sensor that provides a sensor output signal representative of an interfacial adhesive force on the probe, the sensor including a plurality of sensing capacitors, each sensing capacitor comprising a plurality of comb capacitors and each configured to provide capacitance levels which, together, are representative of a position of the probe, wherein each of the comb capacitors of the actuator capacitor and the sensing capacitors includes a fixed electrode comb coupled to the body and a moveable electrode comb coupled to the probe;

applying a bias voltage to the actuator capacitor, moving the probe relative to a sample surface; and

determining the interfacial adhesive force between the probe and the sample surface using the sensor output, the interfacial adhesive force defined as an attractive force or an adhesive force.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising determining a first interfacial adhesive force on the sample surface as the probe is moved towards the sample surface.

19. The method of claim 17 , comprising moving the probe in a direction away from the sample surface; and determining a second interfacial adhesive force on the sample surface as the probe is moved in a direction away from the sample surface.

20. A method of measuring an interaction force comprising:

providing a micro electromechanical transducer comprising:

a body;

a probe moveable relative to the body; and

a micromachined comb drive including a differential capacitive displacement sensor to provide a sensor output signal representative of an interaction force on the probe;

an actuator that moves the probe relative to a sample surface;

moving the probe relative to a sample surface; and

determining an interaction force between the probe and the sample surface using the sensor output, as the probe is moved relative to the sample surface and out of contact with the sample surface.

21. The method of claim 20 , the actuator comprising:

an actuation device; and

a displacement sensor.

22. A method of measuring an interaction force comprising:

providing a micro electromechanical transducer comprising:

a body;

a probe moveable relative to the body; and

a micromachined comb drive including a differential capacitive displacement sensor to provide a sensor output signal representative of an interaction force on the probe;

providing an actuator configured to move to the probe;

moving the probe relative to a sample surface; and

determining an interaction force between the probe and the sample surface using the sensor output, as the probe is moved relative to the sample surface and out of contact with the sample surface, the interaction force including a surface attractive force or an adhesive force.

23. The method of claim 22 , the actuator comprising:

an actuation device; and

a displacement sensor.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the actuation device comprises one of a group consisting of a piezo actuator, a voicecoil actuator, or a stepper motor.